Starting August 28, a new way for managing complaints in schools will be implemented across Quebec. This new process will be applied uniformly across Quebec and will replace the complaint examination procedures in place.
The National Student Ombudsman, a new independent organization outside the school network, will oversee implementing this new streamlined complaint procedure.
The National Student Ombudsman will conduct an impartial investigation, adhering to established protocols, to safeguard the rights of students and their parents.
The National Student Ombudsman’s mandate encompasses not only preschool, elementary, and secondary education both in the public and private sector, but also home schooling, vocational training, and adult education.
The revised national procedure will comprise a maximum of three steps and will adhere to the time limits specified in the National Student Ombudsman Act, thus improving its accessibility and simplicity.
3-step procedure
First step: Establish communication with the individual directly implicated or their immediate superior.
Prior to filing a complaint, the student or parent will initiate contact with the individual in question or their immediate superior. It is recommended to maintain a written record of the complaint from the outset, even though it can be communicated verbally, to facilitate the estimation of the processing duration.
The processing of the complaint must be completed within a period of 10 business days.
Step 2: Speak with the Complaints Officer
If the student or parent is dissatisfied with the outcome of step 1 or if the complaint has not been processed within the time limit specified in the Act, they may contact the individual responsible for handling complaints designated by the school board, or by the private educational institution. This step can be performed verbally. It is recommended that you keep a written record of the actions taken.
The processing of the complaint must be completed within a maximum of 15 business days.
Step 3: involves reaching out to the Regional Student Ombudsman.
If the complaint remains unresolved or exceeds the time limit specified in the Act after Step 2, the Regional Student Ombudsman responsible for the student’s or parent’s region may be contacted. The Regional Student Ombudsman can aid in drafting a written complaint for the student or parent.
The Regional Student Ombudsman must conclude the complaint review and findings within 20 working days. The Regional Student Ombudsman will provide recommendations to the relevant educational institution. The institution will have 10 working days to respond in writing regarding how it will implement these recommendations.
Reporting
Starting August 28, 2023, individuals will have the ability to report incidents of sexual violence against students enrolled in public or private educational institutions. Reports can be generated by various individuals such as teachers, school professionals, employees, educational institution administrators, students, and parents.
Individuals who have observed an incident of sexual violence and desire to file a complaint may directly approach the Regional Student Ombudsman. The Regional Student Ombudsman will promptly handle these reports. The Regional Student Ombudsman will take all necessary steps to ensure that the confidentiality of identifying information is maintained, except with the consent of the person making the report.
1. 13, 10, 8, different levels of homework involvement for each child as a single parent. How to manage that?
I’m not sure where you shop but if you go to Walmart, Amazon or anywhere else, perhaps pick out, with the children (those who are interested) a calendar with stickers. They can also buy their own stickers at the dollar store. Every Sunday, you sit down together and plan your week for an hour together. It’s family time, it’s connection time and it’s schedule time. Yes, you may need to cook, clean, have friends over and many other things. SCHEDULE the 1-hour block of this is for us. They schedule what needs to be done and at what times so you can feel more in control. What needs to REALLY be done each night? You aren’t sure, ask each teacher. Tell them that you are struggling with balancing this and would like to know what you should focus on and how to focus on it. Their teachers will be your best resource! The 13-year-old should be able to do their homework on their own. If they are struggling, find out why. What areas are they struggling with? What’s their focus? What do they see/not see?
2.My frustration is that I feel that his reading level decreases a lot from the day we practice to one days later. How to help with retention?
I am not sure how old your child is but I only started to REALLY understand what I was reading around the age of 23. Are they reading every day for 10-15 minutes? Focused reading, not slouched, on the couch, zoning off into some other place, really focused. If it’s focused reading for 5 minutes because that’s all they are capable of for the moment, take it. And congratulate them. Wow! Good job. You did really great reading during that time! Let’s do something else now. You are trying to get them to create small habits at their young age. Depending on the age, if they get through 3 pages, congratulate them; maybe 4 tomorrow. Small shifts.
3. I try to help their homework, but they don’t want to do the homework. It seems like I’m doing the homework, not them. How to overcome this issue?
If you are doing their work, which I’m not there to see what is really happening, but they won’t do it if you are already. It’s easy for them. What I love about what you wrote is that you are obviously VERY involved in what they are doing. Great job! Now, how can you get them more involved? Again, without knowing the children’s ages, it’s difficult to say how much independence the child “should” have but they are capable of doing at least 5 minutes. Every Sunday, plan out your week together. What needs to be done? What needs to be finished later but started now? How much time will that require? Can I just write the introduction the first week? Break it down for them so that they can start SMALL. Again, if it’s ONLY one sentence they can do at a time, go for it! Start shifting those small habits!
4. My daughter will rush through her homework; she will not take her time. How to get them to take their times doing homework?
This is normal for a lot of kids. If you could rush to get all of your 8-hour workday done in one hour and your boss told you that you can go home and do whatever you want as long as it’s done, would you?What are your concerns about the rushing? Retention? Not caring? Not understanding? Is there proof of this already? Hold old is your daughter and what has her schooling/grades been like so far? How much time are they doing homework? Is 15 minutes enough for their age? Are you setting a timer together? Are they reviewing their work before putting it back in their bag? What habits do you want to be creating and why? Create those.
5. Homework takes long time, sometimes they forget the book or the material, or the other reads too slow…, how parents can address these issues?
The first thing that stands out to me is the reading too slow. Maybe that’s their pace? And if it is, saying it’s too slow rather than, “Let’s set a goal for this week that you can read this page in 45 seconds instead of a minute?” may deter them. We want to build confidence. Again, I only started to really understand things when I was 23, much too late but nobody if confidence boost and learning for me. The other thing that stands out to me is reminders, and lots of them. Make family habits in the morning, in the car, before leaving for school etc. “What are we doing tonight? What do we need to go over? Is there a test coming up? I love you!” and then off they go. Create these schedule-shifting habits. Is this going to happen 100% before the end of the school year, probably not. But will you get maybe a 5% increase? Possibly. Check-off list that you can print out of all of the books that they are using; you can laminate it and they can check it off every morning with the washable marker to give them a verbal and visual reminder of what needs to be brought home. Remember, they have a HABIT of forgetting and they need to exercise that part of their brain. You’re training the habit.
6. It’s after 7pm by the time we are home and dinner is done – so they are exhausted, how to motivate them to do homework?
That sounds exhausting for you! I would be too tired to do homework at 7, after dinner has settled in my stomach too! What is your schedule like? Where can adjustments be made? Crock pot? Would you rather homework be done between 5 and 7? Depending how old your children are, can work be done at school? Is there a school program? Can one be made? What are the most important things that need to get done? Look at schedules and times and see what can be shifted, added or taken away, (example cooking versus 10-minute dinner prep tonight.)
7. New to French, French as a new subject, my child needs help, ways to help with French?
There are fun apps you can download to help kids learn French in a fun way. I would see if the teacher can do one hour of tutoring after school or at lunch to help your child. There are often older kids in school who are willing to help and get programs going too. At home, watch tv in French for 5 minutes, longer if you can. Ultimately, if you could watch tv in French all the time, that would be great.
8. Rushing to get to any screen, sometimes rush through the homework to watch TV. How to get them to focus on homework?
It is so hard to set limits, times, rules around all this kind of stuff. What do you feel comfortable with? If you say, only 1 hour of tv per night from 7-8 and everything must be done beforehand properly, do you feel comfortable with that? This is something that you’ll have to see how you feel about it.
9. Not understanding that learning is important. It is like a chore, annoying chore. How to change their perspective of homework?
First off, find out what they are struggling with. A lot of kids put on masks of “it’s annoying” when really, it’s “Mom, I’m struggling and it’s easier for me to get in trouble and say it’s boring rather than admit that I have no clue what I’m doing”. See if this is happening but tread lightly. Reinforcements? If you can do 4 days of homework consistently, you can stay up an hour later, get a special activity (ice cream) etc. It depends on their age. Kids need and WANT structure. So, if there is an alarm at 4 pm every day and a plate of apples beside it, they’ll get used to that routine. Also, start talking about their dreams and what they want to accomplish in life. What will you need to get that, go there?
10. How to stay involved without micromanaging?
This is hard to understand just by reading as I am not sure what behaviours you are engaging in to lead you to believe this is happening. Again, it’s always about age and capabilities/learned behaviours. Schedules, timers, reinforcements, small increments. Look through all the other questions too.
11. as they go to high school you do not always receive the same feedback about assignments. Finding time to be consistent with homework assignments. How to do it?
You are right, it’s important to be consistent. What will help you do that? Schedules, timers, calendars, speaking with the teacher weekly. Having the teacher set up an app for the class? Sitting down with your child weekly and seeing what needs to be done and showing them how to schedule their assignments?
12. Not consistent homework practice year over year (teacher to another) makes it hard to develop a habit, how to make it into a habit?
What are your current practices at home? What would you like that to be instead? What would you be comfortable with? Do you need/want to do homework every night? What do you want to implement?
13. How to get my 13-year-old son to stay on top of his homework? I wanted him to be on his own by now; but he still needs me or else he will not study before hand and look at his homework, I still need to study with him or else he goes from 70 to 40s grades. He rushes through his homework; does the minimal. I try to motivate him by not having his electronics or losing sports privileges. Not sure what do too anymore.
There’s more going on than just homework. If he still needs you, then he needs you. What other areas of life does he feel he may need you in? Ask him. He may be struggling to learn things. Maybe he has difficulty at school and just isn’t saying anything. Can you set up a meeting with his teacher? What other areas is he struggling? After finding this out, if it’s only homework, then he just isn’t getting it and needs someone else to explain this to him differently because maybe it was just too overwhelming at school to grasp all of the concepts. Is tutoring an option? After school, at lunch, on weekends?
Our kids had a well-deserved spring break and I hope you were able to enjoy it with them! Now we are nearing the end of the school year, which can make motivation more difficult. As parents and primary educators for our children, we play a critical role in their success. Let us be role models for them by talking to them positively about school and its importance and encouraging them to pursue their interests, overcome obstacles, and seek assistance when needed.
EPCA held a Bill 96 webinar which had hundreds of participants in attendance. We heard your concerns and are doing everything we can to advocate and make your voices heard.
On March 14th, EPCA - in partnership with Mettons fin à l'insécurité routière sur le trajet scolaire - held a provide-wide protest against road hazards near schools. We have demanded that the government develop a road safety strategy and take action to make the areas around schools safer. We are now writing municipal counsellors and municipalities across the province of Quebec asking them to adopt motions that request the provincial government to quickly and significantly increase the budget allocated to the development of proven and effective safety measures around Quebec schools.
Finally, disruptions in educational services, exacerbated in part by labour shortages, are depriving students of services critical to their success and well-being. It is currently impossible to reconcile the current situation with our demand for a service for every need, for every student. We will continue to work with partners in the education community in an attempt to find a solution to the impasse.
I'd like to conclude on a high note by inviting you to browse and participate in our spring workshops! We have something for everyone, and I hope to see you there.
Thank you for contributing to the educational success of your child and thank you for being there for your community!
Montreal, 7 March 2023 – The English Parents’ Committee Association of Quebec (EPCA) supports the Make School Zone Safe Initiative and encourages all parents to organize protests in front of Quebec's English schools on March 15, 2023.
Deeply moved by Mariia's death in downtown Montreal last December and the tragedy at a Laval daycare, EPCA President Katherine Korakakis is urging the Quebec government to address child safety immediately.
"It is unacceptable that in 2023, parents are afraid to send their children to school on foot or by bike, and that they see road safety violations every day near schools, daycares, and parks. The government must put in place safeguards to prevent incidents like this from occurring.”
Ms. Korakakis supports the plan to rally all parents on March 15 to call for an increase in funding for road safety, the implementation of the 2030 Sustainable Mobility Policy to adopt a "zero accident vision," and adjustments to development standards intended to shift the paradigm from "all to the car" to the advantage of the most vulnerable road users, as outlined in the Highway Safety Code.
"On March 15, let's send a clear message to the government that it's time to do its duty and make a change. Every accident is one too many,” concludes Ms. Korakakis.
Details on how to join the movement on March 15 prior to the start of the first bell:
About the English Parents’ Committee Association (EPCA) EPCA is a coalition of parent committees from English-language school boards across Quebec and is the official voice of parents of students in Quebec English-language school boards, representing nearly 100,000 students in the youth sector.
For more information contact: Katherine Korakakis - President Contact: president@epcaquebec.org
As we progress into the new year, there are so many things going on in the Quebec educational system. Many new laws are being implemented in Quebec that have a significant impact on the educational system and, by extension, our children. EPCA remains vigilant about the effects of the laws on our students and is working with our partners and parents across the province to mitigate any potential negative impacts to the best of our abilities.
Second report cards are coming out now - if your student hasn't yet received theirs, they should be getting it soon and you can check the Mozaïk portal. It can be a stressful time for both children and parents, but EPCA has provided someone tips and tricks in this newsletter (and in past editions and on our Facebook page and our website) for having conversations around progress with children and teachers in Parent Teacher interviews.
Stay tuned for a survey on educational projects in response to the Minister's priority to increase access across Quebec to educational projects, including things like Sport Etude and Arts. EPCA wants to hear your thoughts on this initiative.
On a personal note, I want to acknowledge that the last month has been filled with tragedy and, as parents ourselves, everyone at EPCA feels the pain as well.
I'd like to wish everyone all the best for the next month. I hope to see you at one of the many events and workshops EPCA is putting on over the next little bit with our partners, including a series of workshops with OMETZ and movie nights with Canadian Parents for French!
With several pediatric organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) declaring that we are in a children’s mental health crisis, we need to find ways to educate kids about healthy ways to cope with emotions. The main takeaway from this 3 part series on mental health is that there are many skills we can teach our kids that contribute to their mental health. In Part 1, we learned about the importance of our own mental health as parents as well as assessing behavior changes since this can be linked to their emotional well-being or mental health. Part 2 of this series highlighted the importance of practicing gratitude, self-compassion and connectedness (which have all been tied to protecting our mental health!). In the final part of this series, let’s break down 3 important strategies you can teach your child to help them move past uncomfortable emotions.
A little reminder that emotion regulation is an important skill that needs to be developed over time. Emotions help us to respond to a perceived or real environmental stimulus. Even though we don’t have a perfect definition of what an emotion is, we can define them as a biological state that results from feelings, behaviors, and thoughts.
We feel a variety of emotions (as we talked about in thisInstagram post) and knowing them is one of the first steps toward good emotion regulation. Dr. Marc Brackett’s work at Yale and his book called Permission to Feel are great starting points to help us identify 64 emotions we can experience at various levels of intensity.
Emotion regulation (ER) is when a person understands their different emotions and can influence when and how they experience and express them. An individual that is not capable of managing their emotional response to everyday events is more susceptible to psychopathology.
Adaptive and/or protective (when they successfully reduce negative state and restore emotional balance);
Maladaptive and/or risk factors (if they only provide short-term relief and fail to reduce negative affect).
Adaptative ER strategies lead to good psychological well-being whereas maladaptive ER strategies have a strong association with a wide range of psychopathology (depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and eating disorder symptoms).
A review in 2009 found that three emotion regulation strategies have been associated with protection against psychopathology (adaptive):
Reappraisal (when you try to look at the positive side of a stressful situation. Self-compassion and gratitude play a large role here as well);
Problem-solving (conscious attempts to change a stressful situation or contain its consequences – you don’t modify the emotion, but modify or eliminate the stressor);
Acceptance (component of mindfulness, the ability to be present and accept thoughts, feelings, and sensations as they are to promote good outcomes).
Three strategies have been associated with risk factors for psychopathology (maladaptive):
Suppression (suppression of emotional expression – could work in short term, but over time is less effective in regulating emotions);
Avoidance (the opposite of acceptance);
Rumination the habit of obsessing over negative events that happened in the past (source:Verywell Mind)
Now that we have the science, here are 3 takeaways that will support your child’s mental health:
It starts with your child’s environment. How are you and anyone in your child’s home modeling healthy emotion regulation?
Create habits that support their emotional well-being such as mindfulness, gratitude, a community and self-compassion.
Teach them adaptive coping strategies. We often don’t have control over our environment and what causes us distress, however, we have control over how we respond to distress. The more we can learn to control our response, the happier we feel.
All 3 of these points lead to an emotional well child and adult with a lower risk of mental illness. It isn’t easy work but we can all create small goals to support our child’s mental health. I hope this series was helpful! Feel free to reach out through www.curiousneuron.com if you have any questions!
Meet Dr. Cindy Hovington
Cindy Hovington is a mom of 3 and has a doctorate degree in Neuroscience from McGill University. She is the Founder of Curious Neuron, an online science-based resource focused on emotional learning and mental health in kids of all ages. Curious Neuron has a community of over 129,000 parents on Instagram (@curious_neuron) and recently launched their YouTube channel. She is the host of the Curious Neuron Podcast, a top parenting podcast in Canada, the US and the UK. She is also the co-founder of Wondergrade, an app that helps children ages 3-8 develop healthy emotional coping skills. You can try the app free for 2 weeks here or visit wondergrade.com. Dr. Hovington is a regular parenting expert on CJAD800 and has been highlighted in Montreal Times, Today’s Parent, and the Bump. She has worked with companies such as Pampers, Airbnb and Pok Pok.
The role of parents in supporting their child's school motivation Catherine F. Ratelle, Ph.D.
Université Laval
During the Hooked on School Days, important individuals in students’ lives are mobilized to offer them support in the last stretch of the school year marathon. Among them, we find parents, whose contribution to student development and well-being is the most global and stable. As their child's motivation can wane during the third and final term of the school year, parents wonder how they can best support their motivation.
Support their autonomy
Youths who are poorly motivated in school need to feel personal ownership and self-endorsement of their learning and to perceive its usefulness—namely, to feel autonomous as students. Parents support their autonomy when they try to see things from their perspective, by listening to their feelings and opinions, even when they are different from their own or even negative. By being empathetic and validating their perspective, parents allow their child to take responsibility for their actions and be self-determined.
“I understand you find this assignment boring.”
“It's okay to be discouraged at times.”
Parents who are autonomy supportive also take the time to explain to their child the importance of the school tasks that are assigned, which helps them internalize the value their schoolwork.
“When you learn grammar rules, it allows you to communicate with others so that they understand you.”
Finally, parents support their child’s autonomy when they allow them to hold age- and developmentally appropriate responsibilities and to make meaningful choices.
“When you receive your work plan, you can decide which day you want to do each task your teacher has given you.”
Show your involvement
Another way parents support their child's school motivation is to be involved in their lives. Involved parents create an environment where their child feels accepted, understood, and worthy of attention by showing them that they are important and by offering them supporting when needed. This support can be manifested by providing tangible resources to the child (e.g., subscribing to a science journal if they have a passion for the subject) but, most importantly, it is demonstrated via emotional resources. Specifically, emotionally involved parents use unconditional positive regard toward their child, show genuine interest for what is happening in their school life, devote time to them, encourage them, and show them their affection.
Provide structure
Parents can support their child’s school motivation by offering structure. Structuring parents make their child’s environment predictable so that they feel capable of achieving their goals. This involves clearly communicating family rules and expectations, specifying the natural consequences of following and breaking rules, by being consistent in enforcing rules and expectations as well as their consequences, and by maintaining supervision, when necessary. Structure also requires providing specific feedback to help children, when needed, and providing time and opportunities for them to follow rules and meet expectations.
Importantly, avoid harming
Parents can protect their child's school motivation by avoiding behaviors shown to be harmful:
being controlling (e.g., threatening, imposing one's way of doing/thinking, punishing or rewarding behavior, blaming)
being rejecting (e.g., ignoring, belittling, using abusive or insulting language, yelling or using a harsh tone, using sarcasm)
fostering chaos (e.g., changing rules and expectations without notice, being lax and using laissez-faire, using discipline in an arbitrary or inconsistent manner)
Being a parent is not always easy. You may recognize yourself in some of the practices you should avoid. Rather than judging yourself, we encourage you to be self-compassionate and reflect on what causes you to engage in these behaviors (e.g., fatigue, stress, your child's neurocognitive characteristics). Every day, you can improve as a parent by putting these good practices into action.
Suggested reading:
How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk (Faber & Mazlish)
Montreal, February 13, 2023 – The English Parents Committee Association (EPCA) is pleased to underline the importance of Hooked On School Days taking place February 13– 17, 2023.
The Hooked On School Days campaign is intended to remind our dedicated students, parents, and educational community stakeholders that they are all indispensable in insuring student success as we work together to surpass the outstanding graduation rate in English School Boards.
“On the heels of what we have been through the last 2.5 years with the pandemic, it is evident more than ever that we must work together to ensure educational success.
This week highlights the importance of teamwork as we focus on supporting our children,” said EPCA President Katherine Korakakis. “Of course, educational success is not measured in one-week. It is our important daily commitment to our children that sets the stage," concluded the President.
Please consult your local School Board websites or social media for details on all the activities being held this week across Québec.
-30-
About the English Parents’ Committee Association (EPCA) EPCA is a coalition of parent committees from English-language school boards across Quebec and is the official voice of parents of students in Quebec English-language school boards, representing nearly 100,000 students in the youth sector.
In a recent survey of 3,000 parents across the province concerning the online tutorial program provided by LEARN, EPCA learned that significant gains were achieved by students who participated. These improvements ranged from increased confidence and motivation to higher grades and scores attained by the children on tests and exams.
EPCA has already been made aware of the increased demand for these tutorials by parents who are looking for more sessions or, in some cases, longer sessions. Despite the evidence in support of the success of the LEARN program, the Ministry of Education has decided to cut back on funding rather than finding the means to support its growth and further development to support the education of our children.
EPCA is calling on the Minister of Education to reverse course and to support the request for funding for the estimated 50,000 LEARN tutoring sessions forecasted for this school year. The Verificatrice General has in the past chastised the MEQ for moving ahead on initiatives without evidence of their overall efficacy; however, now that we have evidence of a program that succeeds in key performance indicators, the MEQ has decided to reduce its funding! Last year, over 35,000 sessions were given by LEARN and the current rate of growth more than justifies properly and fully funding this program.
For further information, you can find below a link to the survey, which was conducted by a third party to ensure validity, as well as a short video by the author of the study summarizing the report:
About the English Parents’ Committee Association (EPCA)
EPCA is a coalition of parent committees from English-language school boards across Quebec and is the official voice of parents of students in Quebec English-language school boards, representing nearly 100,000 students in the youth sector.
As parents, we all want to protect our children’s health including their mental health. As we discovered in part 1 of this series on emotional learning, our childhood shapes how we cope with our emotions. This is called emotion regulation and is the ability to manage our emotions both internally and externally and has been shown to greatly influence our mental health.
It is important to notice any changes in your child’s behavior, mood and habits. If, for instance, your child alway sleeps well and suddenly struggles with sleep, it is important to see if this might be linked to anything emotional. It doesn’t automatically mean they are struggling with their mental health. It simply means that something might be causing this.
Any changes in what brings them joy or their level of motivation can also be a sign of some emotional struggles. If they used to enjoy seeing their friends, or if they used to enjoy playing soccer and no longer want to go, you might want to see if there are some anxieties attached to this. Always approach it from a place of curiosity and compassion!
There are lots of scientific studies that point to 3 important factors that can help protect our child’s mental health (and ours!).
Below are 3 ways you can protect your child’s mental health:
Gratitude
In as little as 1 week, taking 2-3 min to express gratitude can influence your mental health. Start by trying it yourself. At the end of each day answer this question…”What am I grateful for? When I first started doing this I often didn’t have anything to write. Or I would write “I am grateful for my kids”. Forcing myself to answer this question every day led to me being more aware of little things that happened during my day. A loving hug from one of my 3 kids. Getting extra cuddles with my kids at night. Little moments that I was taking for granted began to stand out and bring me moments of joy throughout my day. I talk about this in detail in a Curious Neuron Podcast Episode here.
This is why practicing gratitude can help our children reframe their day and moments that help “fill their cup”. This is why it can influence our mental health. Rather than trying to find a bigger picture that will bring us happiness, we see the small things that are right in front of us.
Self-compassion
It is often easier to feel compassionate for others than it is for ourselves. However, many studies have suggested that self-compassion greatly influences our mental health. When our child says “Why am I the only one that sucks at math!!??”, we can remind them that many people struggle with math. Struggling with something means we need to work at it. These are all skills and any skill can be worked on and improved.
The main point of self-compassion is realizing that we are not alone. I interviewed a researcher that stated “the number one thing we can do to improve our mental health is work on self-compassion”. You can listen to this Curious Neuron Podcast episode here. We often fall in vicious cycles of self-blame and negative self-talk (even as parents!). Modeling self-compassion can help our kids learn how to maintain a more positive inner voice and to see themselves as a small part of this big world. We are never alone in our experiences and struggles!
Create Connectedness
About 67% of adults have experienced an Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE). These are experiences such as neglect, abuse or household dysfunction (a parent with mental illness, substance abuse, incarceration, divorce etc). Having only one ACE increases our chances of both mental illness and physical illness in adulthood. This might be alarming to many parents, however, what we have learned through research is there are ways to heal or repair the damage caused by an ACE.
Dr. Bruce Perry talk about this so eloquently in his book “What happened to you”. I chatted with Dr. Perry in a recent podcast episode here where we chatted about the power of community and connectedness. Even if someone has experienced trauma or an ACE, having a sense of community and connecting with others can contribute to their healing. If your child has experienced trauma or an ACE and you can’t access a healthcare professional, part of their healing journey can include being part of a team or organization. If you want to protect their mental health, belonging to a team or organization is also a powerful tool.
In the last post of this emotional learning series, we will discuss 3 important emotion regulation skills your child can apply to learn how to cope with their emotions and avoid internalizing them.
Meet Dr. Cindy Hovington
Cindy Hovington is a mom of 3 and has a doctorate degree in Neuroscience from McGill University. She is the Founder of Curious Neuron, an online science-based resource focused on emotional learning and mental health in kids of all ages. Curious Neuron has a community of over 129,000 parents on Instagram (@curious_neuron) and recently launched their YouTube channel. She is the host of the Curious Neuron Podcast, a top parenting podcast in Canada, the US and the UK. She is also the co-founder of Wondergrade, an app that helps children ages 3-8 develop healthy emotional coping skills. You can try the app free for 2 weeks here or visit wondergrade.com. Dr. Hovington is a regular parenting expert on CJAD800 and has been highlighted in Montreal Times, Today’s Parent, and the Bump. She has worked with companies such as Pampers, Airbnb and Pok Pok.
