Summer Camp at Starr Gymnastics!

When you send your kids to camp, you want to know that they are safe, with good friends (or ready to make some new ones), and having fun all week long. You want the price to be reasonable and you want to feel that your children will come out of a five day journey with stories to tell and a desire to go back again. When they want more, you know you've made the right choice. Well, if you send them to Starr Gymnastics Summer Camp, you might be shocked when they tell you that this is the ONLY camp they ever want to do!

Your child's week starts with gymnastics. After all, that's what Starr does best! Every child will learn something! It might be that they learn to flip for the first time, or they finally get that cartwheel that they've been practicing at recess for the last month. Every athlete is made to feel special and will learn new skills. Even kids that take regular lessons will find they are doing tons of "outside the box" moves and twists. The purpose of the camp is to explore the less conventional side of gymnastics and really get excited about the creativity of the sport.

Follow Monday with some group games, trips to the park, crafts, weekly themes ranging from Disney Day to Space Day (yes, that's where they do gymnastics with glow sticks and black lights!) and you're left with the highlight of the week - Friday's BIG SHOW TIME. If your child is falling asleep in the car on the way home every day isn't enough satisfaction, you are invited on Friday afternoon to see a live performance of all they've learned, packaged neatly with music and cheers - in true big top style! The Coaches even put on a show, reminding the parents that your children are surrounded by true role models who love what they do!

And that's another point that sticks with families that register for Camps at Starr. The staff are the most dynamic, caring and friendly people you will ever meet. They seem to genuinely have a passion for excellence, and they help every child achieve their best by inspiring them, not ordering them around. They are always approachable and happy to accommodate your needs whenever possible. Their flexibility (no pun intended) is matched only by their safety-conscious approach to the finer details of camp. You think you are dropping your kids off to learn gymnastics, but once you see how seriously Starr manages allergies, outings, lunch-checks, and attendance, you realize that you are getting so much more.

So it might not just be your kids that want Starr, and ONLY Starr! 

For more information - please visit www.starrgymnastics.com or call their central office at 613-721-4868

Editorial note: this post was sponsored by Starr Gymnastics.

Simple Tools for Parents whose Children have Anxiety

It is interesting that what makes you worry is the same thing that stops you from living your life to the fullest. It is moving into the future or moving out of the moment. Living in the present can be a present to someone who is living with fear, worry or anxiety.

Worries, fears and anxieties come from thoughts of the past or future. In separating yourself from these thoughts you are able to replace them with a more positive or peaceful way of being. The same principles are used to end the effects of anxiety and master your life.

Children can get into a way of seeing the world that brings them unwanted feelings. This may come from having parents who grew up with fear or anxiety or from other beliefs that they have formed.

Parents may fear they are not offering everything they can to their children. They may fear for the future success of their children or for the safety of their children. This shows that you are a concerned parent and want the best for your child. This desire, tools and some consistency will allow your children to move away from anxiety and enjoy the moments in their life.

When my son was in grade two he missed more than half of the school year because he was to anxious to participate or even attend. I realized that both my husband and I grew up feeling quite anxious. My husband felt like he really needed to protect our children and keep them safe and I never wanted to put our children in a situation where they felt uncomfortable for fear of them experiencing difficult feelings.

It wasn’t easy but the first thing we did was to confront our own fears and get ourselves into a place of personal strength so we could be supportive. At the same time we found ways to help him live in the present.

He is now in grade eight, living without anxiety as a self proclaimed positive tween. He has a few remarkable insights on the topic: I always knew that I didn’t have to worry but I didn’t know how, I know that life just keeps getting better and better and what is the worst that can happen?

The first step to any change that you want to see in life is awareness and as a parent you must start with looking at your self. You can do this by answering these questions: Why am I concerned about my child’s worries, fear or anxiety? Where do these concerns come from? What can I change so I am not projecting these feelings onto my child? How can I grow?

The next step is to look at your child and your hopes for them and you can do this by asking these questions: How is this affecting my child’s life? How do I want my child to feel?

Equipped with this information you have put yourself in a place where you can make some change. There are so many tools that you can use to separate yourself from these thoughts and worries including: becoming aware of them, mindfulness, separating your worry brain, changing your focus to a fun challenge, and increasing your positive energy throughout the day.

You can raise your positive energy throughout the day with any relaxation technique, by exercising, listening to music or by doing an energy exercise. Here is a link to a 17 second energy exercise video that helps by getting your energy moving across your body:

Kaeli Van Regan is the founder of Living Inside Out. I combine my love of life and nature with education in Child and Youth Work, Life Coaching and Energy Healing to provide coaching to expand yourself and uplift your family. I live in beautiful Old Ottawa East with my husband and three children. There are tips and tools on the website www.livinginsideout.ca with a lot more coming in the next couple of months as information comes out about my upcoming book and program Parenting Your Way.

Twitter: @kaeli_van

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kaelivanregan/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVvQeRrM2EDjcPDM46BVmPg .

How To Keep Your Child Rested During Travel And Still Have Fun!

Spring is finally here! Some people are in the midst of travelling for spring vacation or trying to finalize a summer getaway with their family. As a mom, the concerns I have while travelling with my three favourite people – my husband, four year old and almost two year old – are much different than my non-parenting days. Things I think about today: do I have everything for the kids – diapers, snacks, colouring books and oh, snacks – lots... especially if you are going to be going on a plane! Once packing is covered, the next question that pops into my head is: where will the children sleep and can we still have fun and keep routines in check? Absolutely! This is one of the most common questions I get as a Sleep Consultant. So here are my top three tips to keep your child rested during travel so that you can still have a fun family holiday!

1.     Don’t over-schedule: Remember how I spoke about how preparing before vacation is different once you have children? This same rule applies once you arrive at your destination. You now have a child that needs sleep to be at their best during the day. Let’s face it, an overtired child who is exhausted (picture dreaded melt down!) is not what you had in mind when you planned your family holiday. So, try to honour your child’s needs and remember his or her limits. You know how much your child can handle.  Some ways that you can still be flexible: plan a fun and eventful morning, with a more restful afternoon and a dinner out. Skip a nap one day or have it on the go (i.e. stroller or car) but make sure that you are back for bedtime.

2.     Get help from the sun: Are you travelling to a new time zone? The best thing you can do once you arrive is get onto the new time as quickly as possible. Children will normally adjust more easily than adults do. Sunlight can help shift your child’s biological clock during daytime hours, so open the curtains or better yet, get outside for a family walk. As you’re approaching bedtime, do the opposite – dim the lights an hour before bed, use black out blinds or room darkening shades to promote melatonin (the sleepy hormone that the body naturally produces).

Remember, the years of making sure that you have enough fishy crackers and raisins on the plane don’t last forever! So enjoy planning and going on holidays with your family – have an amazing time!

Diane Dauphinais is a Certified Sleep Specialist and owner of Sound Of Sleep Consulting Services in Ottawa, ON. She has had the privilege of helping families in the Ottawa area achieve the rest they seek both for the child and the entire family. Diane is happily married with two wonderful children who love their sleep!

Website: www.soundofsleep.ca

Facebook: www.facebook.com/www.soundofsleep.ca

Winter yurt camping in Gatineau Park: Fun for all ages!

If the thought of camping in the winter sends shivers down your spine, don’t let it! This past winter was the first winter that my family and I ventured into to the great outdoors to camp, but thanks to the numerous yurts and four season tents available in Gatineau Park, our camping experience was unforgettably comfortable!

So much so, that we did it again this past weekend! We packed up our sleeping bags, camp pillows, marshmallows (and other, more nutritious food), clothes for the weather (which was cool, but not freezing), and hiked the 3.4 km to our yurt to settle in for a weekend of fun.

We were lucky because this time we invested in the luggage and water  transportation to our yurt (it’s available for an additional fee), but we didn’t when we went in December, and we managed just fine then too – thanks to my Hercules husband who managed to carry almost everything on his back. And yes, if you don’t pay for it you have to bring your own water – for cooking and drinking (if you’re lucky there will be plenty of snow, which lessens the amount of water you will need to bring).

Some of you may be wondering why we wanted to camp in the winter or early spring? There are many reasons to camp off season, including:

1)   Peace and quiet

With the exception of a few hard-core tent campers, other than the people in nearby yurts and four-season tents, there were not many people around, which meant that the only noise we heard were from trees blowing in the wind, a couple of coyotes and raccoons at night, a grey-horned owl (which was incredible to hear!) and our own breathing – it was glorious!

2)   Bright nights

Yes, you have to use an outhouse and sometimes children need to go in the middle of the night, but the bright snow makes walking in otherwise complete darkness a little brighter, and night in the middle of the woods in winter is a special kind of beautiful.

3)   No bugs

Isn’t that great? No need to carry bug spray of any kind, nor did we have to worry about nighttime creepy crawlies while going to the outhouse (not to mention because it is so cold, the outhouse never smells!)

4)   Winter fun and wildlife

To access the yurts and four season tents in Gatineau Park you can hike (if there isn’t a lot of snow), or cross country ski or snowshoe. Along your journey you may be honoured with the presence of deer, moose and other wildlife!

5)   The Wood Stove

I can tell you right now, even in the middle of winter you will not be cold at night. The wood-burning stove (the wood is included in the rental price and is available near your yurt or tent) will heat up your accommodations quickly. The first time we spent the night in a four-season tent we were so hot that we opened all of the windows and doors to let some cold winter air in (my recommendation is to always have a window open at least a crack, it helps regulate the inside temperature)! It's an efficient source of heat and it's what you will use to cook your meals - a unique and educational experience for everyone!

6) Memorable Experience

I guarantee your kids will be talking about their winter camping trip for months to come! My daughter loved hiking to the nearby lake and looking for animal tracks in the snow. She loved having to cook everything on a wood stove and she loved eating dinner by candlelight (there is no electricity after all!).

There is also a journal in each unit with stories from people who previously stayed in the yurt or tent. Their stories are funny, interesting and relatable – like the first time winter campers in our yurt who didn’t realize the walk was so far so they chose to leave behind a beautiful orange skillet for future yurt visitors to use, simply because it was too heavy for them to carry back out.

My only complaint is that the online booking system can be confusing, especially for first time users and there is a chance something can get double booked (it happened to us once, but they were kind and gave us our money back plus a voucher); but once your yurt or tent is booked you’re all set!

Tell me, have you camped in the winter? It’s our hopes to check out some of the amazing yurts and four season tents in Algonquin Park next year. I’ll make sure to let you know how it goes…

Get your kids to enjoy what’s in front of their screen, not behind it

Do you remember a time when you’d have your paper and crayons spread across the kitchen table and say “tell me something to draw, Mom!” After she answered, you’d feverishly draw the best rainbow, puppy dog or bunny you’ve ever drawn. You'd race over to the fridge, pass your Mom a magnet and ask for it to be displayed with the other 37 rainbows, puppy dogs and bunnies. Both my daughters are the same - our fridge is overflowing with drawings, and most of the time, our magnets are not strong enough to hold everything up!

Or maybe you remember Saturday morning art classes. I sure do! My mom would drop me off at the door, and I'd spend two quiet hours painting, drawing and doing pottery.

These days, many kids aren’t naturally drawn to traditional art mediums - unless a paintbrush or marker is their finger tip and their paper or canvas is a digital screen. The iPad is a marvelous invention, but can sometimes prohibit the development of artistic skills.
 
There are some pretty advanced artistic apps out there that can make a child feel like a Picasso! Parents of kids as young as two can believe they’re painting at an advanced level because the parameters of the app are set for them. You can go off the page and not make a mess, you can erase anything you don’t like, and you can change the colours of your work if you think purple fits best when you originally chose red.
 
But when I sit my girls down with paper and paint, I'm amazed at what comes out on the page. Getting our kids to explore the unpredictability of natural art is freeing. The permanence of a choice (e.g. "should I choose this red paint, or the blue?) makes kids stretch their thinking – they can build a piece that they’re committed to, not one that they can just “delete”.
 
There will always be a place for a digital footprint, and I encourage my daughter's to explore digital art mediums as well. But if I go back to my childhood and those Saturday morning art classes, I can remember where my creativity took shape – from my heart, my ideas, and my beliefs - and not from a device. 
 
If you’re looking for a way to encourage your child to get back to "creative grassroots", the Nepean Visual Arts Centre and Nepean Creative Arts Centre here in Ottawa offer a healthy variety of beginner through to advanced classes to help get you started. They also have some fantastic parent and child workshops, which I'm hoping to check out this spring! Request a copy of their programming guide when you visit them online!

Does your child attend art classes?