Bullying has become a major issue for children.
We have been provided this short documentary. Take a look and let us know what you think.
Binge Drinking – What Parents Need to Know
May 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Teenage Wasteland “Teenage Wasteland” might be a memorable song lyric by The Who…but teens getting wasted – is it really no big deal or should we be concerned?
When I say wasted, I mean binge drinking–drinking to the point of intoxication, or getting drunk. The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) defines it as “consuming five or more drinks on one occasion”. However, depending on a person’s weight and the period of time in which the drinks were consumed, it may take far less
than five drinks for a teen to become drunk. We know many teens are binge drinking. 3% of grade 7 students, this means 12 year olds, say they have recently (within the past month) consumed five or more drinks at one time (2011 Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey by CAMH). By grade 12, this number increases to nearly 50%.
The sheer popularity of binge drinking alone is alarming, and with prom season and the end of school on the horizon, the desire and opportunities to do so will likely increase. Teenage drinking is a real challenge for parents.
Your son or daughter getting loaded may be concern enough, but unfortunately there are also some serious health risks to consider:
- Alcohol impairs rational thinking. So an intoxicated teen might do things that a sober teen would decide is too risky. Physical violence (like fighting) or having unprotected/casual sex can be decisions that a teen later regrets.
- The most serious risk is the one a teen does not live to regret, because binge drinking can lead to death from alcohol poisoning. A young person might just consume too much alcohol too quickly and the body cannot recover. Sadly, there are recent, local examples of teens who lost their lives to alcohol poisoning.
- A teen’s developing brain can be harmed by alcohol. The brain undergoes important changes and development starting around age 13 and continuing throughout the teen years. Research shows that repeated exposure to alcohol may harm the way the brain develops.
So, maybe at this point you’re thinking it’s better for your teen and their friends to drink alcohol in your basement because it’s safer. Let me discourage this myth by saying that parents/homeowners are legally liable for providing alcohol to minors and any of the harms that happen as a result. What can parents do?
- Don’t supply your teen or their friends with alcohol.
- Be a good role model. Show your kids how to drink alcohol responsibly. Canada’s Low Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines can help you check your drinking.
- Talk to your kids about alcohol. Talk about the risks and tell them what you think about binge drinking.
- Monitor what your teen is doing. Know where they are going, who they are with and what they will be doing. Tell them what time they must be home.
Finally, if you know your teen is going out and might be binge drinking, make sure they are accompanied by a friend who will remain sober and help them avoid taking risks that can lead to injuries, violence or even death. You can also check out this partying tip sheet for parents, or call us at 311 or email haltonparents@halton.ca if you have any questions or concerns about your son or daughter.
Guelph Anti-Bullying Coalition Want Want To Take Politics Out of Anti-Bullying Legislation
May 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Ten community groups from across Ontario are meeting in Guelph this coming weekend to look at ways they can encourage the Liberal Government and the opposition parties to overcome their political differences and pass a single piece of anti-bullying legislation that will help build safe schools for all students.
“The recent debate over Bills 13 and 14 have brought the bullying issue to the front of public awareness. The Anti-Bullying Coalitions of Ontario (ABCO) are calling on MPP’s to pass a single piece of legislation that will ensure that all students, parents and educators understand that bullying of any kind is not tolerated in Ontario schools,” said Lynne MacIntyre, chair of the Guelph Anti-Bullying Coalition (GABC).
The groups meeting in Guelph represent small and large communities across Ontario. Their members include parents, educators and community leaders wanting to end all bullying. There is a growing understanding about the social and economic impact of bullying and many local and province wide efforts which are bringing attention to the issue. Members of the ABCO will be looking at ways they can work together to take their message of safe communities to elected officials, businesses and families across Ontario.
“Bullying is a community problem that requires a community solution. Safe schools are a very important part of building safe communities where everyone knows that bullying is not tolerated or welcome” said Corina Morrison, Co-Founder of the London Anti-Bullying Coalition. “Blending the best parts of Bill 13 and 14 will help the schools and educators do their part to ensure safety in our schools for all students. However, bullying is a problem that does not stop in the schoolyard. That is why we are so grateful for the support we receive from community agencies, local businesses and boards of education. Together we can eradicate bullying.”
The meetings in Guelph will kick off with a welcome from Karen Farbridge, Mayor of Guelph, on Friday May 11 at 4:00 pm at the Holiday Inn Conference Centre.
The GABC was formed in the spring of 2012 to grow awareness about the impact of bullying and build a clear and consistent community wide strategy to eradicate bullying in Guelph. Members of the GABC include parents, local community groups, the City of Guelph and area businesses.
Raising Awesome Kids…The role of Self-Esteem, Character & Discipline
April 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment
C.A.P.P. for KIDS (Community & Parent Partners for Kids) is hosting an event that many parents will find interesting titled “Raising Awesome Kids…The role of Self-Esteem, Character & Discipline”.
Guest speaker Gary Direnfeld will speak on turning a negative situation around, using behaviour-specific feedback and using love, fun and joy to create great relationships with your children.
Date:
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Time:
7:30 – 9:30 p.m. (Community displays 7:15 – 7:30 p.m.)
Place:
Gary Allan H.S. / New St. Ed. Centre
3250 New Street, Burlington
*Donations toward future speakers will be gratefully accepted*
To register or contact Halton Region at 905-825-6000
Happy New Year
December 31, 2011 By Leave a Comment
We would like to wish all our readers a very happy new year. Good things come to those who wait….so we are hoping that 2012 brings great things to those who have helped support Oakville Chit Chat along the way.
What are you planning to do this evening and in 2012 to make a difference?
Let us know what is on your horizon.
A lawyer’s sanitized politically correct season greeting
December 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment
For all Oakville Chit Chat readers, we wanted to share this funny greeting that was sent to us.
We wish you all the best during the holiday season. Looking forward to 2012!!!
A lawyer’s sanitized Politically correct season greeting
Dear Friend / Family member,
I wanted to send some sort of holiday greeting to you, but it is difficult in today’s world to know exactly what to say without offending someone.
So I met with my co-counsel yesterday and on his/her advice I wish to say the following:
Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, non addictive, gender neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday practised with the most enjoyable traditions of religious persuasion or secular practices of your choice with respect for the religious / secular persuasions and / or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all.
I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2012, but not without due respect for the calendar of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make our country great (not to imply that Canada is necessarily greater than any other country) and without regard to the race, creed, colour, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee.
By accepting this greeting, you are accepting these terms:
This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for her / him or others and is void where prohibited by law, and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher. The wish is warranted to perform as expected within the usual application of good tidings for a period of one year or until the issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wisher.
Best Regards (without prejudice)
Name withheld (Privacy Act)
Parent Connections 2011-2012 presentions worth attending
December 5, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Due to its overwhelming success, Oakville Trafalgar High School, in partnership with your School Council is continuing the Parent Connections program.
Their goal is to bring parents, caregivers, community members and staff together to discuss issues that evolve as young people develop through adolescence and to build a network of parents to support one another in the pursuit of raising healthy, responsible and resilient teens.
They will be meeting the first Tuesday of every month at 7:00 p.m. in the Oakville Trafalgar High School theatre; meetings will run approximately one hour. Please notify Kim Redmond, VP, of you intention to attend so she can accommodate required seating.
Following is the list of dates and topics that have thus been selected by parents for the 2011/2012 school year.
Tuesday, December 6th
Bullying and Relationship Building
The Honourable Justice Marvin Zuker Ontario Court of Justice
Kim Redmond Vice Principal, OTHS
* NOTE: Constable Mark Vegso has accepted Kim’s offer to join us
for Q & A
Tuesday, January 10th
Talking About Mental Illness
Presented by a Panel of Speakers/Experts in the Field of Mental Health/Illness in Adolescents
Tuesday, February 7th
Internet Awareness
Presented by KIWI Seminars/KIWI Commons (https://filter.kiwicommons.com/).
If you would like to be added to the Parent Connections e-mail distribution list, please email Kim Redmond, Vice Principal, at redmondk@hdsb.ca.
*Stay tuned for our March, April & May sessions*
Happy Halloween – Let the kids continue to enjoy
October 30, 2011 By 1 Comment
Happy Halloween!
Halloween is a time when kids get to be kids…use their imagination….live in the fantasy and dress up.
How often as parents do you remember your little boy dressing up as batman or your little girl as a princesses. Would they run around the house with a cape or sit a the table pretending to sip tea?
As they grow, their opportunities to pretend, dress up and escape into the world of wonder become less and less frequent – if at all.
Halloween allows our children to pretend again, to run around without a care and yes, to collect the sugary sweets they devour for weeks.
So don’t ban it. Don’t make them dress in orange and black.
As Canadians we celebrate many holidays. We have come to enjoy these as well as the new celebration we have been introduced to because of our new Canadian families.
We at Oakville Chit Chat, hope that those new to Halloween enjoy it as much as our children and that they can introduce us to other world celebrations as well.
From our family to yours, have a safe and enjoyable Halloween.
Protect your cell phone from telemarketers immediately
October 2, 2011 By 1 Comment
Do you know that cell phone numbers go public this month?
All cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies and you will start to receive sales calls.
YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR THESE CALLS!!
To prevent this, go to the following web-site for Canadian Telephone Numbers:
www.lnnte-dncl.gc.ca and then click on English & then on “check my registration.”
It is the National DO NOT CALL list It will only take a minute of your time. It blocks your number for five (5) years.
HELP OTHERS BY PASSING THIS ON. It takes about 20 seconds.
Teen stress
June 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Reports are now coming in regarding what many parents have known for a long time – that the stress caused by high expectations are causing an emotional and health toll on teens.
Expectations put on youth not only by parents, school but even themselves are having in some cases serious consequences.
Clinical depression, anxiety disorders and even suicide are making many reconsider the heavy burden placed on youth in today’s competitive life.
Some high schools are taking a very innovative approach by offering workshops on everything from meditation, laughter therapy, music, etc.
The numbers are frightening on the growing concern that students need additional years to complete high school. With the elimination of Grade 13, parents as well as youth are now stating they need more time to complete high school before moving on.
With the high cost of tuition, parents are also concerned that teens not ready for the transition may waste their first year at College or University because they are either emotionally or academically unprepared.
Stresses also exist outside of school as outside activities become competitive by nature.
Have you ever noticed that every activity your child participates in seems to have or push a ‘competitive’ stream?
How are you handling these types of stresses trying to protect your teen from falling victim?
