Big or small, planned or unplanned – transitions at any age, for anyone, can either be a welcome surprise or full of anxiety and distress. Transitions can be imposed on us, or proposed by us. Whatever the reason, they are an integral part of life and must be managed appropriately.
It’s something Calgary Optometrist, Dr. Tamara Maillot Delong, will never forget.
“He was eight years old and I found a significant tear in the retina,” she says of one of her young patients. He couldn’t tell her when his vision changed, but she could tell it wasn’t recent, and because the retina feels no pain he would not have complained.
As a social media specialist during the day (and into many evenings), I often get asked if I’m going to let my daughter go on social media when she’s older. To be honest, I don’t think there’s any avoiding it. From the easily moderate-able Facebook, to ‘dark social’ like Whatsapp and Kik, there are new challenges facing parents when keeping their kids safe online. The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) actually prohibits children under 13 using social media, but this is often ignored by curious young minds with computer time.
Despite an increase in male dancers in the media and popular television, boys who choose dance as a favorite activity are still subject to difficult questions and derogatory names.
Dance in all of its forms is often marketed as “for girls” when it comes time for parents to choose an extra-curricular for their kids, so boys who are interested in it can face bullying or barriers to participation from both children and adults. This can be extremely isolating and result in decreased self-confidence.
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