211: Helping You Find the Answers You Need!

Did you know that in Ottawa, there is a number parents can call to find out about the different community resources that are out there? Until it was pointed out to me, I had no idea. In order to access it, you just call 211. With information on more than 56,000 agencies and services, 211 Ontario can help you find the answers you need, quickly and easily. Their phone service is open 24 hours a day, every day of the year, and is available in more than 150 languages. When you dial the 211 hotline, you are connected with a Certified Information and Referral Specialist who has been trained to assess your needs, answer your questions accurately, and advise you about the services and programs that are best for you and your loved ones.

Here's some info about 211 - an amazing community resource too few people know about.

• 211 is the 911 for people's every day quiet emergencies.
• 211 has been in place for 5 years in Ottawa.
• 200,000 calls answered since then.
• Expanded to Eastern Ontario in 2011.
• Now available across all of Ontario, 24/7/365 in 150 languages!
• For families and moms, it's the place to call to get connected to breastfeeding support, daycare options, chess clubs, day camps, March Break camps, special needs activities, and so much more.
• For women in the sandwich generation, it's the place to call to get help for a parent who may have Alzheimer, a senior who may need non-emergency medical transportation, home care help, etc.
• You name it, they will connect you to it.

Have you ever called 211? We'd love to hear your experiences!

Where There's a Will, There's a Way

By Brittany Fish, Barrister, Solicitor & Notary Public As a new lawyer, I decided what a better way to begin my career then to open my own practice in the community of Orleans. A beautiful area to live and a lot of young families. A great place for a young professional to launch a new career.

When deciding what area of law to offer my clients, it was surprisingly an easy decision. From the moment I became a lawyer I had emails and phone calls from friends and family asking to prepare their Wills.  I knew from there, Wills it is.

I am amazed by the amount of parents who feel they do not need a Will because they believe they have very little or no assets. Others put getting a Will off for another day, they seem to think I can get it done tomorrow.

You may not have an abundance of assets or own property, but if you have children they are one of the biggest reasons not to wait to get a Will done. If anything were to happen to you and/or your partner, you need to have a plan for your children, since you likely consider them your most important asset to protect.

Information regarding parents and the necessity of Wills is not discussed enough. Unfortunately, because of this parents are unaware of the consequences of not having a properly drafted Will to no fault of their own.

In short, here are the top three reasons to prepare a Will as a parent.

No Will equals no guardian

A guardian is someone you appoint in your Will to look after your children should something happen to you.  When a lawyer drafts your Will we assure the individual you want to look after your children is properly identified.  Your wishes in regard to how your children are raised can also be included.  If you do not have a Will the courts decide who becomes the guardian of your kids.  Unfortunately, it may not be the person you would have chosen.  Having a Will grants you this decision.

Happy 18th Birthday!

If you prepare a Will, you decide what age your children will receive their inheritance.   I am not sure about you, but I know when I was eighteen it is quite possible I would have fainted if someone handed me thousands of dollars. I would have proceeded to purchase a car that even now I couldn’t afford.  If you die without a Will the law states your child will receive his/her inheritance at eighteen.  You should decide what age is appropriate.

Where there’s a Will, there’s a way……...to distribute!

The law limits what a guardian can accept in terms of money when you die without a Will.  When you create a Will a lawyer sits with you and listens to your wishes and concerns.  We can draft a Will so that the distribution of your estate is done in a way you desire.  You can decide how much your child receives up until his/her age of inheritance.  This means, you can allocate money to the guardian for school and child rearing costs.  You may also decide on compensation for the guardian of your children.

There you have it, three of the most important reasons to prepare a Will if you are a parent.  Preparing for the unexpected is not exactly a topic of conversation parents or anyone in general want to discuss.  But the reality is, waiting until tomorrow may be too late. Every parent needs a Will.

If you have questions regarding the preparation of Wills, please email me at bfish@bflegalservices.com. If you would like to know more about Wills, please feel free to “LIKE” your lawyer at facebook.com/bfishlaw.

Question of the Month: Turning off the Helicopter Parent

Summer is finally here and in about three weeks, school will be done, the days will be longer and playing outside in the fresh air will be a number one priority for most kids. When I was young(er), playing outside meant roaming the neighborhood with friends until all hours with little parental supervision. It's not the same today, of course.

As a mom, I get how scary it is to let you kid go off on their own (or with friends). Whether it's to ride their bike around the block or go to the park with friends, the very idea of letting your kids out of your site strikes terror in the hearts of most parents. I freely admit that I am a helicopter mom. I have trouble letting my kids go off on their own and it takes a real effort for me to do so.

The questions of the month, then, is at what age would you or did you let your child go off on their own around the neighborhood with friends -- whether it was to the park or just riding their bike to a friend's house?

Please share your thoughts. This helicopter mom really wants to know!

MWF Seeking New Friends

I am not good at making friends. Before Twitter I just had a small group of friends, but connecting online has brought me into a whole community. The problem is that the majority of the community I built as a mother lives across the city from me. (Stittsville–Orleans is not always doable, and once the kid starts school we're screwed).

It was easier when we lived a bit less west, but a year ago we moved into Stittsville, which makes even meeting centrally difficult when there pick-ups and drop-offs to manage as well.

And so I am trying to find a way to make friends, and find friends for my daughter and I feel like a stalker at the park.

Any time the kid talks to another child or seems to get along with them I have to try to find out a name, push myself out of my comfort zone and try to talk to the mother, and I've gotten friendly with a couple of parents, but then it's time to leave and I just can't seem to, as they say, close the deal.

After gymnastics last weekend my daughter ended up playing with another little girl while I talked to her mom. The girl is in the same class and we had exchanged pleasantries waiting for them to finish over the three classes they've had so far. It was thrilling to see my daughter play so nicely with someone, making up games, building sand castles and swinging. Behind me my husband kept hissing "Get her number!" – A West end play date! A friend!

In the end I suggested that next week my kid could bring her sand toys and maybe they could play again, hoping to build up a relationship and move things forward.

Meanwhile, my daughter invited the girl over to our house to play on her play structure.

So how do you do it? How do you 'date' friends for your children?

Amy is mom to two year old Maggie and a 6 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. She also shares a blog with her husband at boughner.ca where they talk together about parenting a daughter.

Question of the Month: Do You Let Your Child Quit?

This month has been a bit difficult for me as a mom. My daughter, who has danced at the same studio since she was three, has recently become disillusioned and has started balking at going to dance. There are many reasons for this the but the bottom line is that we are now one week away from our first competition and she wants to quit dance. As hard as it is for me to see her tears, I am making her finish the competition season. She can't let her team down, she made a commitment, I've already paid...there are lots of reasons why. She has reluctantly agreed but I still need to deal with the tears.

The question for this month is, then, when to do let your child quit an activity? Do the reasons behind quitting matter? How do you make them take responsibility for the "quitting?" (Sorry, I think that was 3 questions)

Please share your thoughts with us. We'd love to know!