Home sellers have become increasingly active in Metro Vancouver’s housing market this spring in response to heightened demand and rising home values that have materialized during the pandemic.

One of the wisest things you can do for your children is to help them expand their minds. Here is a list of ideas for helping kids of any age sharpen their thinking and grow intellectually:

• Read a newspaper or visit a news site every day.
• Read magazines like National Geographic.
• Observe wildlife in your own back yard, from birds above to bugs in the grass.
• Log on to the local library.
• Research your family history.
• Write a story, poem, or song.
• Learn how to play chess or other strategic board games.
• Learn how to play an instrument.

Discipline is an issue in every family. You don’t want to punish every minor infraction, but you do have to set some limits for behavior. We’re probably more tense than usual after a year of COVID-19 and stay-at-home orders, but that doesn’t mean you should let up on reasonable boundaries for your kids. The Healthy Children website offers these tips:

• Redirect bad behavior. Children, especially younger ones, may not realize that they’re doing something wrong when they misbehave. Instead of just getting mad, suggest something else for them to do that won’t violate any rules you’re trying to enforce.

• Engage in creative play. Sit down with your kids to draw pictures or make collages that illustrate safe behavior. For more mischievous kiddos, have them draw pictures of not-so-good behavior as an example of what not to do. Hang up their drawings that illustrate positive family practices.

• Reinforce positive behavior. Don’t dwell on rude or inappropriate behavior. Instead, explain to your kids what they can do to avoid negative consequences.

• Use time outs. A “time out” can be particularly effective with young children. Give them a warning so they know what’s coming and they can choose to avoid it. This teaches them to control their actions and anticipate repercussions.

• Reward good behavior. Giving children extra privileges— an extra half hour on the computer, for example— when they take initiative to do something above and beyond expectations can generate a spirit of helpfulness in your kids.

Don’t respond to everything. You don’t have to stop what you’re doing every time your child steps out of line. As long as they’re not doing something dangerous, sometimes it’s better to let them work out a problem on their own or experience natural consequences of inappropriate behavior.

National Men’s Health Week is celebrated each June in the weeks leading up to Father’s Day on June 20th. You can support the men in your life by having healthy habits yourself and by making healthy choices, including these three small (but powerful!) suggestions from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

• Make healthy food choices and include vitamins and minerals in your daily diet that may help protect you from chronic diseases. Limit food and drinks that are high in calories, sugar, salt or fat.

• Adults need 2½ hours of physical activity each week. Regular physical activity can help control your weight, reduce your risk of heart disease and some cancers, and can improve your mental health and mood. Find fun ways to be active together!

• Help the men in your life recognize, manage and reduce stress, including finding emotional support, eating well, exercising regularly, and getting enough rest.

Chasing success seems easy when you’re young and ambitious. Yet once you hit middle age, you may find that your drive fades. However, if it’s too early for you to retire, what can you do? Don’t give up! Follow this advice of staying the course from Bloomberg Business Week:

• • Look for meaning. Money isn’t the only measure of success. You may have already achieved your financial goals. If so, find meaning in your work by reminding yourself of the positive good it does for customers and the community at large.
  • Stay active. Modify your workspace for a standing desk. Take regular, active breaks to keep your blood flowing, your mind sharp, and your energy high.
  • Target your weaknesses. Take an inventory of what you struggle with. Select one or two of your most important gaps and work on rectifying them. Everyone should do this throughout his or her career, but it’s especially useful as you enter the second phase
  • Look beyond work. Don’t depend on your job for all your emotional fulfillment. Take classes, read regularly, volunteer your time, and pursue other activities that will help you meet new people and enjoy new experiences that will keep you fresh.

Sometimes the best lessons we learn from our mothers are not the things they try to teach us directly – like how to tie our shoes or how to ride a bike. We often learn the important ones when we ask, “Why did you do that?”

Here is a story I heard that reminded me of the important lessons we learn from moms:

One day, I asked my mom if she would cook my favorite dinner. She said, “Follow me,” and knocked on the neighbor’s door and asked to borrow a casserole dish.

I was confused because we had plenty of baking dishes at home, so I asked, “Why did you ask for something we don’t need?”

She told me, “They sometimes ask us for things and I wanted them to know we all need each other. So I asked them for something small that would not burden them. By giving us something, now it will be much easier for them to ask us for something again.”

Then she smiled and said, “We also never return a dish without something in it, so we get to share your favorite dinner with them.”

Mother is a verb. It’s something you do. Not just who you are. – Dorothy Canfield Fisher

Happy Mother’s Day!
Gino Pezzani