To learn about the national child care funding in Canada, please click here.
Kids & Company Blog
Crying on Santa’s Lap and Other Holiday Memories
As we looked at our family calendar the other day, trying to pinpoint the best day to go get our Christmas tree in between work, sport, school concerts and holiday gatherings, I had a familiar feeling. I felt stressed about the holidays and wondered how we were going to get everything done. When would there by time for making memories in between yelling for everyone to get in the car, getting pretty greenery for the front porch pots and realizing we were out of powdered sugar needed for icing?
My next door neighbour lamented that Chanukah and Christmas dates this year meant they were driving pretty far distances between relatives’ homes for several days straight. She is trying to potty train her son, and he generally asks to stop the car every 10-15 minutes to try to pee in his portable potty. She plans to buy everyone reindeer antlers and play dreidel in the car, since that’s where they’ll spend most of their holidays.
Whatever traditions your family celebrates this season, one thing most of us have in common is that we want to share a few happy, loving moments with our families and we hope these become memories that children carry with them.
I’ve asked some smart, creative Kid & Company staff members for some of their “Making Holiday Memories – Simple” ideas. I think I’ve gathered some great advice.
- Choose one or two activities that are important to you/your partner and put your energy there. 2 well-done events make more of an impact than the stress of fitting in many activities. Do a little research and make sure you are realistic about the attention span and interests of your children. The Nutcracker is wonderful, but very LONG for a 6 year old (I learned this the hard way).
- Some activities need a good amount of organization and work to go well. Want to make cookies? Plan on making many colours of icing and decorations beforehand and have lots of tools ready for little hands (I like squeeze bottles and wide paint brushes for putting on icing, and small spice jars with small holes on top for sugars, sprinkles, etc). Roll out and cut some cookies with them, but have some that are already made and cooled so they can get to decorating. One mom says: Plan it out the way you would a birthday party activity. Have side activities to keep little hands busy when there is a lull in the main-event activity.
- Take some photos (because they really are part of the memory making) but make sure you put the phone/camera down long enough to be part of the action and do the activity too. Your kids want you as part of their memories, not just as the family photographer.
- Have an activity that reminds children to think of others. For young children, this can be as simple as making drawings for family members. You may consider volunteering as a family, make suet bird feeders for winter animals, drop off some pet food at the Humane society, or give each child a small budget to donate to the charity of their choice.
- Sometimes the small things really are the best. Both of my sons LOVE choosing a night to walk around the neighbourhood and look at all of the lights twinkling on trees and homes. We then come home and have hot chocolate with marshmallows. Free, easy and the dog gets a walk, too!
Posted on: Friday December 2nd, 2016
Posted by: Kids & Company
Calgary
Calgary
Calgary
Calgary
Calgary
Calgary
Calgary
Edmonton
Cochrane
Red Deer
Calgary
Calgary
Okotoks
Calgary
Calgary
Calgary
Calgary
Edmonton
St. Albert
Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton
St. Albert
Edmonton
Edmonton
Sylvan Lake
Edmonton
Sherwood Park
Edmonton
Calgary
Kamloops
Langley
Langley
New Westminster
North Vancouver
Richmond
Vancouver
Victoria
Victoria
Port Moody
Surrey
Surrey
Surrey
North Vancouver
Nanaimo
Surrey
Coquitlam
Burnaby
Port Coquitlam
Chicago
Chicago
Chicago
Chicago
Schaumburg
Chicago
Winnipeg
Abington
Canton
Quincy
West Quincy
Braintree
Braintree
Walpole
Walpole
Brighton
Brookline
Jamaica Plain
Jamaica Plain
Cambridge
Needham
Newton Highlands
Newton
Cambridge
Boston
St. Peters
Lake St. Louis
Troy
O'Fallon
St. Charles
Lake St. Louis
St. Peters
O'Fallon
Howell Township
Freehold Township
Manalapan Township
Bedford
Dartmouth
Halifax
Bedford
Hammonds Plains
Lower Sackville
Eastern Passage
Aurora
Burlington
Burlington
Etobicoke
Etobicoke
Hamilton
London
Milton
Mississauga
Ottawa
Richmond Hill - Corporate office (No child care services)
Toronto
Toronto
Toronto
Toronto
Toronto
Toronto
Waterloo
Kanata
Oakville
Oakville
Toronto
Whitby
Toronto
Mississauga
Ottawa
Toronto
Toronto
Toronto
Brampton
Stoney Creek
Toronto
Nepean
Burlington
Burlington
Oakville
Waterdown
Oakville
Pittston
Wilkes-Barre
Exeter
Old Forge
Wilkes-Barre
Dover
Harrisburg
Harrisburg
Harrisburg
Hummelstown
Palmyra
York
York
Abington
Aurora
Bedford (Dellridge Lane)
Larry Uteck (Southgate Dr)
Pine Village South End, by Kids & Company
Braintree 1
Braintree 2
Brampton
Pine Village Brighton, by Kids & Company
Pine Village Brookline, by Kids & Company
Burlington Children’s Centre
Burloak
Appleby
Beacon Hill
Brightstart Burnaby, by Kids & Company
Bow Trail
Eau Claire
Livingston
Midlake
Millrise
Royal Oak
Smart Tech
Britannia Crossing
Marda Loop
Evanston
Beltline
Aviation Crossing
Gulf Canada Square
Royal Oak Out of School Care
Pine Village Kendall Square, by Kids & Company
Pine Village Porter Square, by Kids & Company
Canton
Jackson
Lincoln Park
Harrison
West Loop
Fulton
Cochrane
Brightstart Coquitlam, by Kids & Company
Dartmouth
Dover
Eastern Passage
Ellerslie
Edmonton Ice District
Baturyn
Diamond
Friendly Frog
Meadowlark Park
St. Charles
St. Dominic
Sunshine Factory
Tender Heart
Tamarack
Jagare Ridge
Horse Hill
Fraser
Islington
Etobicoke (Bloor & Islington)
ABC Kiddie Kampus Exeter, by Kids & Company
Apple Hill Academy Freehold by Kids & Company
Halifax
Hamilton
Hammonds Plains
Route 39
Schaffner
Swatara
Apple Hill Academy Howell by Kids & Company
Hummelstown
Pine Village JP Revere, by Kids & Company
Pine Village JP South Street, by Kids & Company
Kamloops
Eagleson (South Kanata)
Tyke Town Lake St. Louis, by Kids & Company
ABC Lake St. Louis, by Kids & Company
Kids World
Langley (200th St.)
London Richmond
Sackville
Apple Hill Academy Manalapan by Kids & Company
Milton
Robert Speck Parkway
Mississauga Gateway Centre
Nanaimo
Pine Village Needham, by Kids & Company
Ottawa Barrhaven
New Westminster
Pine Village West Newton, by Kids & Company
Pine Village Newton Highlands, by Kids & Company
North Vancouver
North Van Esplanade
O’Fallon South
ABC O’Fallon, by Kids & Company
Oakville Cornwall
Oakville Dundas
Joshua Creek
Oakville West (3471 Wyecroft Rd)
Okotoks
ABC Kiddie Kampus Old Forge, by Kids & Company
Ottawa Albert
Ottawa Westboro
Palmyra
ABC Kiddie Kampus Pittston, by Kids & Company
Brightstart Port Coquitlam, by Kids & Company
Port Moody
Marina Bay
Red Deer
Richmond
Head Office
Schaumburg
Sherwood Park
St. Albert North
St. Albert Grandin
ABC St. Charles, by Kids & Company
Tyke Town St. Peters, by Kids & Company
ABC St. Peters, by Kids & Company
Stoney Creek
Morgan Crossing
Surrey Professional Centre
King George
Brightstart Cloverdale, by Kids & Company
Sylvan Lake
Bloor Christie
Bloor (Bloor St. East)
Consumers
Finch
Front
Wellington
Scotia Plaza
Stock Yards
St. Andrew’s Church
Liberty Village
Rosedale
Queen West
Tyke Town Troy, by Kids & Company
Vancouver West
Langford
Victoria
Walpole South
Walpole North
Waterdown
Tech Town
West Quincy
Whitby
ABC Kiddie Kampus East Mountain, by Kids & Company
ABC Kiddie Kampus King’s College, by Kids & Company
Winnipeg
West York
Queen Street
Calgary
Calgary
Calgary
Calgary
Calgary
Calgary
Calgary
Edmonton
Cochrane
Red Deer
Calgary
Calgary
Okotoks
Calgary
Calgary
Calgary
Calgary
Edmonton
St. Albert
Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton
St. Albert
Edmonton
Edmonton
Sylvan Lake
Edmonton
Sherwood Park
Edmonton
Calgary
Kamloops
Langley
Langley
New Westminster
North Vancouver
Richmond
Vancouver
Victoria
Victoria
Port Moody
Surrey
Surrey
Surrey
North Vancouver
Nanaimo
Surrey
Coquitlam
Burnaby
Port Coquitlam
Chicago
Chicago
Chicago
Chicago
Schaumburg
Chicago
Winnipeg
Abington
Canton
Quincy
West Quincy
Braintree
Braintree
Walpole
Walpole
Brighton
Brookline
Jamaica Plain
Jamaica Plain
Cambridge
Needham
Newton Highlands
Newton
Cambridge
Boston
St. Peters
Lake St. Louis
Troy
O'Fallon
St. Charles
Lake St. Louis
St. Peters
O'Fallon
Howell Township
Freehold Township
Manalapan Township
Bedford
Dartmouth
Halifax
Bedford
Hammonds Plains
Lower Sackville
Eastern Passage
Aurora
Burlington
Burlington
Etobicoke
Etobicoke
Hamilton
London
Milton
Mississauga
Ottawa
Richmond Hill - Corporate office (No child care services)
Toronto
Toronto
Toronto
Toronto
Toronto
Toronto
Waterloo
Kanata
Oakville
Oakville
Toronto
Whitby
Toronto
Mississauga
Ottawa
Toronto
Toronto
Toronto
Brampton
Stoney Creek
Toronto
Nepean
Burlington
Burlington
Oakville
Waterdown
Oakville
Pittston
Wilkes-Barre
Exeter
Old Forge
Wilkes-Barre
Dover
Harrisburg
Harrisburg
Harrisburg
Hummelstown
Palmyra
York
York
Abington
Aurora
Bedford (Dellridge Lane)
Larry Uteck (Southgate Dr)
Pine Village South End, by Kids & Company
Braintree 1
Braintree 2
Brampton
Pine Village Brighton, by Kids & Company
Pine Village Brookline, by Kids & Company
Burlington Children’s Centre
Burloak
Appleby
Beacon Hill
Brightstart Burnaby, by Kids & Company
Bow Trail
Eau Claire
Livingston
Midlake
Millrise
Royal Oak
Smart Tech
Britannia Crossing
Marda Loop
Evanston
Beltline
Aviation Crossing
Gulf Canada Square
Royal Oak Out of School Care
Pine Village Kendall Square, by Kids & Company
Pine Village Porter Square, by Kids & Company
Canton
Jackson
Lincoln Park
Harrison
West Loop
Fulton
Cochrane
Brightstart Coquitlam, by Kids & Company
Dartmouth
Dover
Eastern Passage
Ellerslie
Edmonton Ice District
Baturyn
Diamond
Friendly Frog
Meadowlark Park
St. Charles
St. Dominic
Sunshine Factory
Tender Heart
Tamarack
Jagare Ridge
Horse Hill
Fraser
Islington
Etobicoke (Bloor & Islington)
ABC Kiddie Kampus Exeter, by Kids & Company
Apple Hill Academy Freehold by Kids & Company
Halifax
Hamilton
Hammonds Plains
Route 39
Schaffner
Swatara
Apple Hill Academy Howell by Kids & Company
Hummelstown
Pine Village JP Revere, by Kids & Company
Pine Village JP South Street, by Kids & Company
Kamloops
Eagleson (South Kanata)
Tyke Town Lake St. Louis, by Kids & Company
ABC Lake St. Louis, by Kids & Company
Kids World
Langley (200th St.)
London Richmond
Sackville
Apple Hill Academy Manalapan by Kids & Company
Milton
Robert Speck Parkway
Mississauga Gateway Centre
Nanaimo
Pine Village Needham, by Kids & Company
Ottawa Barrhaven
New Westminster
Pine Village West Newton, by Kids & Company
Pine Village Newton Highlands, by Kids & Company
North Vancouver
North Van Esplanade
O’Fallon South
ABC O’Fallon, by Kids & Company
Oakville Cornwall
Oakville Dundas
Joshua Creek
Oakville West (3471 Wyecroft Rd)
Okotoks
ABC Kiddie Kampus Old Forge, by Kids & Company
Ottawa Albert
Ottawa Westboro
Palmyra
ABC Kiddie Kampus Pittston, by Kids & Company
Brightstart Port Coquitlam, by Kids & Company
Port Moody
Marina Bay
Red Deer
Richmond
Head Office
Schaumburg
Sherwood Park
St. Albert North
St. Albert Grandin
ABC St. Charles, by Kids & Company
Tyke Town St. Peters, by Kids & Company
ABC St. Peters, by Kids & Company
Stoney Creek
Morgan Crossing
Surrey Professional Centre
King George
Brightstart Cloverdale, by Kids & Company
Sylvan Lake
Bloor Christie
Bloor (Bloor St. East)
Consumers
Finch
Front
Wellington
Scotia Plaza
Stock Yards
St. Andrew’s Church
Liberty Village
Rosedale
Queen West
Tyke Town Troy, by Kids & Company
Vancouver West
Langford
Victoria
Walpole South
Walpole North
Waterdown
Tech Town
West Quincy
Whitby
ABC Kiddie Kampus East Mountain, by Kids & Company
ABC Kiddie Kampus King’s College, by Kids & Company
Winnipeg
West York
Queen Street