Kids & Company Blog: Development & Milestones

Milestones and Learning Styles: Every Child is Different and Things Have Changed Over the Last 30 Years!

Posted on: Friday September 20th, 2013

Posted by: Victoria Sopik

Watching your child grow and develop new skills is one of the exciting activities that come along with being a parent. It was always a party in our house when the newest member to the family took their first steps or spoke their first words! But even though we were focused on celebrating our child’s… [read more]

Learning Through Play!

Posted on: Monday September 9th, 2013

Posted by: Victoria Sopik

I have eight children. As you can imagine, working at building a business to care for children while raising my own family was a big job. I believe that having my own children helped me in creating the kind of place that I would want me children to be while I was working. When we… [read more]

Water Safety: Having Fun and Staying Safe with Your Children!

Posted on: Thursday August 22nd, 2013

Posted by: Victoria Sopik

I have been lucky enough to spend some time this summer by the lake at my cottage. Being by the water on a hot summer’s day is a great way to spend quality time with your family!   As you can imagine, for many years we had 8 (or more!) young children running around our… [read more]

To Swaddle or Not to Swaddle

Posted on: Thursday June 6th, 2013

Posted by: Victoria Sopik

There are so many questions that arise when you’re preparing for a new baby! Is it better to bottle or breast feed? Is it better to use a crib or cradle? Pacifier or no pacifier? There are so many questions, so many experts and so many “answers” it’s hard to keep track of them all!… [read more]

The Benefits of Socialization: Child Care and Playgroups

Posted on: Thursday May 30th, 2013

Posted by: Victoria Sopik

One of the most important issues that parents consider after the birth of their baby is whether to go back to work and if they choose to do so, how should they prepare their family for this. Does one parent stay home? Do they hire a nanny? Do they send the baby to a child… [read more]

Homework: The fine line between helping them and doing it for them

Posted on: Thursday April 25th, 2013

Posted by: Victoria Sopik

As children progress through school, homework starts to pour in. Some children are able to finish their homework at their after-school programs while others have a hard time focusing after a long day of concentrating at school. By the time homework makes it home, many of us are tempted to over-help our children in order… [read more]

Tidy up time: The importance of cleaning up their own mess

Posted on: Thursday February 28th, 2013

Posted by: Victoria Sopik

I have always encouraged each and every one of my children to clean up their own mess as well as helping their siblings or friends clean up their messes. They are allowed to make their own food and eat (in certain approved spaces!), through out the house- as long as they cleaned up!   Asking… [read more]

The Benefits of Extra-Curricular Activities, How much is too much?

Posted on: Thursday February 21st, 2013

Posted by: Victoria Sopik

We’ve always encouraged our children to take part in as many activities as they would like to. This of course has never got in the way of school work and we’ve ensured that their schedules still left time for homework and some down time. Our boys have all played football, baseball, rugby, hockey and skied and… [read more]

The Pacifier Debate

Posted on: Tuesday October 9th, 2012

Posted by: Victoria Sopik

Whether or not to use a pacifier to soothe your baby has been a longdebated question for parents and pediatricians. There have beenstudies that suggest that pacifier use has health benefits for babies, including the reduction of SIDS in babies who use pacifiers. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Institute of Child Health and Human development recommend using a pacifier at night because of this.

Back to School Blogging!

Posted on: Friday September 14th, 2012

Posted by: Victoria Sopik

Once again, the summer has flown by, and as I enjoy the final few days of August, I am also gearing up for September, which is a busy month for most moms. Five of my eight children are going “back to school” next week, ranging from grade ten to law school. Given that I have gone through this process many times already, here are some of my tips for the transition back to school.