Halifax's Family Magazine
Helping the 2SLGBTQIA+ teen community better express its identity By Lindsey Bunin Photography by Bruce Murray/VisionFire Early in the school year, my junior high-aged son came home from school to proclaim he “has a very rainbow class this year.” I asked him to explain, and he told me all about the various kids he’d had […]
How to talk to your kids about their needle phobia By Ameeta Vohra With in-person learning back this winter and vaccination efforts ramping up, children continue to navigate an uncertain world with COVID-19. Children face heightened anxiety if they have trypanophobia. IWK pediatric-health psychologist Dr. Elizabeth McLaughlin says that this is a common syndrome as […]
A new kitten enriches family’s life and mental health By Jill Chappell The pandemic has brought so many challenges. For my family, it was the loss of our two cats, Odin and Loki, in the span of ten months. Their deaths left a void in our household that we filled with making the most of […]
How music therapy is helping trans and non-binary youth find their voices By Jill Chappell An innovative mental health program is connecting 2SLGBTQIA+ youth with their authentic voices. Funded by the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia, Trans-Formative Voices is a program that treats gender dysphoria by providing voice and music therapy to transgender and […]
Creating a conversation with your children about residential schools By Jill Chappell The Indian Residential School Crisis Line is available 24/7. Call 1-866-925-4419 for mental health support. On Sept. 30, elementary students will come together in a sea of orange shirts in the spirit of reconciliation. Orange Shirt Day is a time to acknowledge the […]
Camp Believe is a summer haven for kids affected by a parent’s mental illness By Jill Chappell Each spring as students anticipate the arrival of long summer days in the sun, dozens of Nova Scotian children are anxiously awaiting their return to a place where they can be themselves and feel included. “I don’t feel […]
How a snap decision enhanced the health and well-being of Nova Scotia youth By Jill Chappell As Joe Biden’s team rolled out inauguration-themed Snapchat lenses, Finley Tolliver was prepping for his afternoon group chat on the same social platform with LOVE Nova Scotia’s Leadership Program. Tolliver has spent the past year establishing a virtual experience […]
Teach good habits and help your kids help themselves By Starr Cunningham Self-care starts with you but it doesn’t end there. Especially if you’re a parent. Our children need me-time too, and the sooner we can teach them to take care of their mind and body, the happier and healthier we’ll all be. Developing a […]
Learn to help your kids grieve and process the unthinkable By Jill Chappell As if parenting during a pandemic wasn’t already challenging enough, the emotional toll of the mass shooting in Nova Scotia has placed an even greater responsibility on parents to manage their family’s mental health. “When something happens that threatens us, it changes […]
Pandemic tips from the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia By Starr Cunningham At the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia, we work each day to change the way people think about mental illness and addiction. These days, we’re also working to change the way we think about how we work, and how we care […]