Dr. Michelle Ward

#the1person youtu.be/7z-OOyzIaD0 via @YouTube

Three First Nations sign child welfare agreement with Ottawa and Alberta theglobeandmail.com/canada/article…

As a proud BGC Board member … thank you Brady and Emma and thank you Sens. @bgcottawa @ottawasenators

“After a long week of work, man spends hours in the cold watching children push an orange ball into a net”#KidsFirst #CanadianParenting (picture taken with permission)

Opinion: The faces of perseverance in our children’s hospitals - The Globe and Mail theglobeandmail.com/opinion/articl…

@vaillancourt_dr Of course but fundamentally it needs to be about the kid and their development not about the coach or unrealistic expectations for the developmental level. My point is that competitive sport can be healthy but it can also be unhealthy. So can rec sport, music, classrooms…

@mgkward Yes. They also need predictability and transparency and far too often, coaches without this from them. They don’t explain their decisions. Transparency is kindness.

I’ve been sitting on this idea for a long time. ❗️Competitive sports are not good for the mental health of a lot youth and young adults. Something needs to change.

@vaillancourt_dr And btw adults need the same things… challenge, support, safety, kindness to meet their potential too!

@vaillancourt_dr Kids grow, learn and succeed when they are both challenged and supported with kindness and an understanding of who they are and what they need to grow / learn…for school, home, music class or soccer.Why do we think sport is different?Why do we accept anything else from coaches?

…because ⁦@bgcottawa⁩ welcomes all young people to their clubs

So proud to walk with ⁦@bgcottawa⁩ #happyproud

@CanPaedSociety theglobeandmail.com/amp/canada/art… Important issue. Here are some Canadian voices on it.

"Paralytic polio can’t be cured, but it can be prevented with safe and effective vaccination; the polio vaccine has been part of the standard schedule of childhood vaccinations for decades." ow.ly/JJBQ50KqHiu #ChildHealth #Polio #VaccinesCauseAdults

@MarkGerretsen Thanks for sharing. Canada is doing well on many measures… which makes it only more shocking that our children are doing so poorly. 2021 UNICEF rankings of childhood well-being : Canada 17 of 29 industrialized countries. And for Health and Safety 27 of 29,

I’ll just leave this here for all the haters out there. ✌️

Thanks @CanPaedSociety, CPSP and Dr. Stephanie Lim-Reinders for supporting this work on child maltreatment during the pandemic, in the context of virtual care. Children/youth will see & feel the effects of this pandemic for years to come. @mgkward @CHEO @OttCommPedsNet

‘Children in this province are suffering’: Three former Ontario health ministers on why the next government needs an immediate plan for children’s health | The Star ⁦@AlexMunter⁩ thestar.com/opinion/contri…

Canada’s top court: voluntary extreme intoxication a defence in violent crimes | So how exactly do we counsel youth now? …You are responsible for your safety - they may not be held responsible for their actions, even when they assault you… apple.news/AYOHHBT0PTwC3M…

For moms of teens this Mother’s Day…Hang in there, parents: Brain science shows teen annoyance part of normal development | The Star thestar.com/entertainment/…

So often, the harms of armed conflict fall most heavily on children and the individuals & institutions which care for them. One way you can help is through groups like @UNICEFCanada. Thinking of those caring for children in Ukraine and conflict zones around the world.

“If we are not fully ourselves, truly in the present moment, we miss everything.” Reading Thich Nhat Hanh influenced me in my formative years. Give his writing to a young person today. Still so relevant. ⁦@nytimes⁩ nytimes.com/2022/01/21/wor…

“I would not have believed that someone like me, who could grow up the way that I did, had anything worthwhile to say. I didn’t believe that about myself until I heard her speak.” | Youth advocate Cherry Kingsley dies homeless in Nanaimo | The Province vancouversun.com/news/local-new…

Kids health advances: 5 things doctors learned in 2021 that parents should know todaysparent.com/kids/kids-heal…