Happy 2025 everyone. This year started with a bang for us at Okanagan Family Magazine. Our Summer Camps section exploded. There’s tons of camps to check out in our Summer Camps at a Glance section on pages 22-23. If you’re looking for something fun for your kids to do, check it out. From archery to horseback riding, science to soccer…. there’s a wide variety of activities for all ages!
Are you a first time mom? Do you have some questions? We have an article called Why Perinatal and Pediatric Care Matters: What Every Young Parent Should Know by Jody Schmuland. It’s about perinatal and pediatric care which includes some alternative health solutions. An eye opening article called Make Movement Fun, Empowering, and Meaningful by Sydney MacKay educates us about the ways that physio is not only for injury recovery, but re-enforcing healthy growth and development as well as dealing with seemingly unrelated issues such as bedwetting. They have developed specific programs for helping children with sensory or emotional regulation needs, such as children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). A super interesting read.
In the mental health arena we find Marie Hartwell-Walker giving us great advice with 6 Ways to Recover Your Mental Health. And if you’re a mother suffering from burnout, be sure to check out When Motherhood Feels Like Too Much: Signs of Burnout and How to Break Free by Ashley Hyndman. An article which challenges us to re-think how our past has shaped our thinking, is the article How Body Image Baggage and Shame Affects the Way We Feed Our Kids by Audree McIvor. This not only talks about the psychology of body image and our relationship to food, but how we can subconsciously pass it on to our children. Is it time to break a cycle and develop healthy thinking and eating habits?
If you’re looking for Adventure, Confidence and Connection, Kristi Patton tells us BGC Okanagan’s powerful vision: “we’re not just filling time, we’re building skills and memories that last a lifetime. We’re giving kids the chance to try something new, to feel proud of themselves, to be part of a community”.
Interested in hearing how to be a better parent to your teen? Parenting Teens and Building Bonds by Mercedes Korngut is a great read. She makes some good points and reminds us that small things can make big differences.
What is art? Rodney Goodchild encourages us to think of art as a gateway to explore, express and connect with each other in his article The Joy of Making: How Visual Art Benefits the Whole Family. Because “we don’t all have to be on the same page, just at the same table”. So true! Angela Roy at RCA tells us “the gift of the arts is an investment in our families, our schools, and our communities”. Read Creative Connections With Art.
If you’re interested in the many adaptive recreational opportunities for individuals with physical, cognitive, and sensory disabilities, Louise Abbott shows us how People in Motion is Empowering Lives Through Inclusive Recreation and Adventure.
And do find time to go outside and discover our beautiful parks. Discover fauna, flowers and wildlife with Risti Lesperance in her article Species of sntsk‘il’ntn Black Mountain Regional Park. Did you know we have guided park tours in the Okanagan? Time to go and explore our parks. And time to explore some new books with Great Summer Reads. It’s a reading rainbow of colour. So much fun!
Enjoy the 2025 Okanagan Family Magazine. It’s put together with love.