Tuesday 26 July 2016

Kick in the eye

Little kids have very little room for grey areas in their very black and white worlds, things are right and wrong, good and bad, period.  Molly and Jack, both pretty obsessed with Star Wars are always talking about good guys vs. bad guys, the dark side vs. the light side, and wrong vs. right.  Trying to explain areas of judgment, and even differences in ways other people parent can be really difficult for them to grasp, particularly when they see one of their peers do something that they know they'd get in trouble for.

A few weeks ago we were at a local playground together and Molly ran into an old friend and began playing.  While they were playing (see running around like crazy and climbing everywhere), the friend accidentally kicked Jack in the head.  Jack was hurt and began crying, hard.

Here's a thing to know about Jack, he is rough and tumble, and rarely cries, even when he's hurt, I've received notes home from school about skinned knees, lumps on heads, scratches and bruises, and
90 percent of the time, even though he's quite hurt he rarely cries.

I ran over to see what happened. Through his tears he told me that he'd been kicked in the head. Neither I, or the other parent had seen what had happened, only heard Jack crying.  I cuddled Jack, explained to him that hanging out in front of swings, at the bottom of slides, or beneath monkeybars wasn't a good idea, and that it was easy to get hurt that way.  The other parent came over to me and repeated once again that they didn't see what had happened, I said that he had been kicked in the head, by their child, by accident.  The kid who had kicked Jack played on, not acknowledging Jack or that he'd been hurt.  Molly watched quietly.

BFFs, even on a rainy day

Once Jack was feeling a better, he quickly went from being hurt to being angry yelling that he didn't want to play with that child any more and that they were mean.  I tried my best to calm him down, and once things had cooled a little we left the playground for home.

Later that night, during dinner, Jack asked me the following question, "If someone doesn't get upset when they hurt someone, does that mean that they are a bad person?" I asked him if this had anything to do with what had happened at the playground, and he nodded slowly.  I explained to him that sometimes people get embarrassed about hurting someone and don't know what to do.  I assured him it was an accident.  "But why didn't they apologize? I'd always apologize, and even if I didn't want to you'd make sure I did." asked Molly.

I tried to explain to both of my children that one of my favourite things about them is how kind they are, that they care about others and are willing to admit their mistakes. I told them about how different families have different rules and ways of dealing with things than we do, and how it's not my job to make other children apologize, but I am proud that our family values and rules are also important to them.  Maybe I over-parent sometimes, because I would've likely forced an apology, and maybe, at this age in particular, that isn't for the best.

I think they get the picture, but are both upset about what happened. Molly feels a responsibility for defending her brother, and has worked out "plans" about what she will do if something like this happens again.

I tried to work out whether or not there was anything I should or can do in the future in a similar situation to make things easier for my kids.  I'll admit, it took a lot of restraint on my part not to go full on "Mama Bear Mode" at the park.  Then I was reminded of a recent Gretchen Rubin podcast clip I'd listened to a few days before that acknowledges the sometimes hard to swallow truth that we can't spare our children normal social pain, it's a part of growing up.  I can't (and shouldn't) "parent" other people's kids, nor should they mine.

I'm glad that as my kids approach their fifth birthday that they have strong concern and empathy for each other and others, even as they make their own friends.  Who'd have thought that a kick to the head would lead me to a proud parenting moment?

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Tuesday 19 July 2016

The Whole World is Our Playground: High Park Splash Pad

It's been a hot summer, really I'm not complaining.  We have air conditioning and have timed our outings for minimal heat exhaustion and been visiting parks and splash pads all over the city.

Approaching the new splash pad

My park review disclaimer: If you don't live in the area I hope you enjoy the pics and can use some of the ideas to inspire and explore in your own city. If you have any recommendations for great playgrounds (or new criteria I haven't thought of) please post a comment on this post or email me at multiplemomstrosity @ gmail,com .

Park Name:
High Park 
High Park and Bloor

Parking:
Parking within the park fills up quickly, particularly during hot summer and weekend days.  There is street parking available on High Park Avenue and the splash pad is just a very short walk from High Park Subway Station.

Theme of Park:
Classic playground, with ample green space for non-playground activities. 

Ground Coverage:
The playground itself has a sand covering, and cement in the new splash pad areas.  The grassy hills of high park are just a short walk away.

Molly and Jack get ready to splash


Variety of Equipment for different ages:
This playground is another one that is specifically geared to younger kids with one climber in particular dedicated to kids aged one to five and a splash pad to suit kids of all ages.  From July to September there is also a wading pool with lifeguards for those who really want to get wet.  There are some big kid swings.   

Best Parts of the Park:
This is High Park, so you can really make a day of it with your kids and travel around to other parts of the park including Jamie Bell Playground, the pool, Animal Paddocks, or take a ride on the High Park Trolley.  The new splash pad provides a great space for kids to cool off and good sight lines for parents with kids playing in the traditional playground or splash area.





Downfalls:
This park is geared towards younger kids and is incredibly crowded.  It could be easy to get trampled by older kids who have brought their water guns as a part of their water play.  The transition from sand to splash made for some pretty muddy kids by the time we went home (it definitely needed to be bath night).  My big complaint was the lack of nearby open washroom options for the kids and adults.

Sandy Molly

Overall Rating:
I would rate this playground a 3 out of 5.  It's local and would be a wonderful place to attend for the day, or if you lived close by and really wanted to cool off, but there are so many better things to do in High Park compared to the over-crowded splash pad. That being said, when it's over 30 degrees outside, it might be worth getting a little sandy.


To find 10 more free splash pads around the city to beat the heat click here

To read my review of High Park's Jamie Bell Playground click here.


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Tuesday 12 July 2016

The Whole World is Our Playground: Exploring Lithuania Park

I've been fortunate enough to have a lot of time to explore the city with the minions this summer and last week was no exception.  We've been driving by Lithuania park for years, often admiring the perfectly kid sized toboggan hill there, and even though it's summer time we decided to go check things out.
The secure (yet wobbly bridge)


My park review disclaimer: If you don't live in the area I hope you enjoy the pics and can use some of the ideas to inspire and explore in your own city. If you have any recommendations for great playgrounds (or new criteria I haven't thought of) please post a comment on this post or email me at multiplemomstrosity @ gmail,com .

Park Name:
Lithuania Park
155 Oakmount Road (Keele and Glenlake, just north of Bloor)

Parking:
This park has a lot of local street parking and is also just an eight minute walk away from Keele Subway Station according to Google Maps, but I think it's even a little bit closer.

Theme of Park:
Classic playground, with ample green space for non-playground activities. 

Ground Coverage:
The playground itself has a dirt ground covering and the surrounding area is quite grassy.

We're slowly growing confident little climbers!


Variety of Equipment for different ages:
This playground is another one that is specifically geared to younger kids with one climber in particular dedicated to kids aged one to five.  There are some big kid swings, a see-saw and a variety of slides.  There is also so much space around in the valley (between the road and the playground equipment) for older kids to play a variety of sports. 

Best Parts of the Park:
This park itself has great shade coverage and has ample room to play away from the road.  It also has a basic wading pool that kids can enjoy on summer days.  The line of sight here for parents watching kids of various ages is fantastic and means lower stress for caregivers who want to enjoy some shade and a little coffee.  Molly liked the bridge and sandbox best while Jack (as usual) loved the wading pool.

An easy way to cool off on a hot day!


Downfalls:
This park is geared towards younger kids, but this can be easily remedied by bringing some sports equipment for older kids to play with on the ample sized lawn.  Part way through our play the local camp came by and took over the playground, and things got a little crowded.  There is nothing innovative or new here to play with, but not every park has to have a gimmick.

Molly frolicking in the field around the playground



Overall Rating:
I would rate this park a 3.5 out of 5.  It's local and would be a wonderful place to attend if I were better prepared with a picnic and a soccer ball or other games to play nearby.  I am going to have this location on the top of our list for tobogganing come winter 2016!

To find 10 more free splash pads around the city to beat the heat click here


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Friday 8 July 2016

Just Keep Swimming: Finding Dory a movie review

With summer here we're enjoying a lot more outdoor time with the minions, but also trying to beat the heat with a couple of indoor treats, one of which included a recent trip to the movies to check out Finding Dory.  Here's what we thought.

Image Courtesy of Teaser Trailer


What's in it for the Kids?
Ever wonder what happened to your favourite characters from Finding Nemo?  This moving takes place a year after the original as Dory sets off on an adventure to find herself and her parents.  This movie is good for little ones who might get scared easily as this film doesn't really have any "bad guys" to be afraid of, save for one brief "scary" under the sea encounter an early scene.

What's in it for the Adults?
A fairly entertaining walk down memory lane with fan favourite Dory the fish and an introduction of some fantastic new characters including Dory's parents (voiced by Eugene Levy and Diane Keaton), Ty Burrell as Bailey and Kaitlin Olson as Destiny.  The real show stopper here was Ed O'Neil voicing Hank the surly but kind hearted octopus. Some of the aquarium scenes were stunning in a way that Pixar has become known for.

Best Parts of the Movie
This movie doesn't slow down and kept both minions attention (particularly Jack's) the entire time. Keeping my little boy still, mostly silent (there were still some questions asked throughout) and wildly entertained for an entire movie is a feat in itself.  Jack fell in love with Hank and is still talking about a (spoiler alert) scene where he drives a stolen truck.

Worst Parts of the Movie
This movie plot is a little similar to the original.  I may have had too much of an "adult" hat on as a viewer, as the film got my mind wandering and to some pretty dark places in terms with thoughts on dementia, memory loss and aging.  I really spent a lot of time thinking about Dory's loneliness and things got a little too meta for me.  I was a little disappointed that they didn't bring back Bruce the Shark, but at the same time I could see that joke getting old (the kids didn't notice his absence).

Overall Rating
I would rate this movie 4/5.  It's watchable for parents, and fantastic for kids, particularly if you have younger kids (aged three to seven or eight) who loved the original.  While it didn't blow me away, the kids loved it and it's something that I won't get too annoyed with playing on repeat by the minions when it comes out on DVD.

To read my review of The Good Dinosaur click here.

To read my review of Zootopia click here.

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Sunday 3 July 2016

The Cave - 10 Tips for Exploring The Scenic Caves Collingwood

Our family is pretty big on making memories above acquiring stuff, especially when it comes to spending time with the minions. After Molly spent a lot of time talking about animal habitats, and the kids had proved themselves capable of tackling some lengthier and more challenging hikes we thought it might be a good idea to explore the Scenic Caves in Collingwood Ontario.

Our family had a great time exploring the caves and both kids felt like real adventurers!


Jack & Dad Explore a Cave 


Here are 10 tips to help you make the most of your trip to the caves.



1. Get some coupons from online to save you some money on admission. (We were able to save $4.00 per person with the coupons Grandpa Jim was able to find on line, this adds up quickly when there are four people in your family).

2. Wear your best treaded running shoes or hiking shoes.  They won't even let you in the park if you're not wearing appropriate footwear.


Molly enjoys a pre-lunch climb
3. Take advantage of in and out privileges by bringing a picnic to enjoy before or after your hike.  It will save you some cash, plus there are great picnic areas right next to the children's playground.



Molly makes her way out of a narrow cave exploration

4. Wait until your kids are old enough to handle the hike.  Molly and Jack were the youngest kids on the caves trail by about two to three years, but they totally rocked it (you can groan, that pun was intended).  This is not an easy hike, there are a lot of steep climbs up and down over slippery rocks.  This summer was the absolute earliest they could've handled this hike, which took us about an hour and a half total.



Taking a much needed rest on a rock


5. Bring plenty of water on the trail.  We didn't bring enough, it was a very hot day and there is nowhere (until you get back to the entrance to purchase additional drinks) and unfortunately the heat really took it's toll on Molly by the end of the day!


6. Wear a lot of sunscreen. Molly has started to say, "The sun sneaks up on you!" and this four and a half year old is right, just because it seems shady under the cover of trees and rocks doesn't mean that you won't get some sun.




Molly and dad on the suspension bridge


7. Check out the suspension bridge too!  After the caves we took a brief break and then hopped on the Scenic Caves "bus" over to the suspension bridge where we were able to check out a great view, and then frogs on the other side.

Lookout 

We met Tree Beard along our Journey


8. Go fairly early in the day and check the weather ahead, this would not be a fun hike on wet rocks.  The park won't let you in two hours before they close, make sure you get your money's worth by giving yourself four to six hours to explore.


9. Don't forget to feed the fish (they're giant) and pretty neat (fish food is available for sale).  Or if you're Jack you can feed the seagulls.

10. Bring your sense of adventure!  Molly and Jack were convinced there might be buried treasure or faeries in the caves, which made our visit all the more fun!


This activity was well worth the admission price (22.57 for adults and 18.58 for kids 3-17, plus tax) especially if you use some coupons and make a day of it.  Jack's favourite activity was chasing/feeding the seagulls whereas Molly liked exploring the narrow cave and the one that was cold like a fridge.  I'd definitely return again in a few years, probably on a slightly cooler day!

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