Lessons Learned in Life and Style
Episode Title: Raising Parents – Episode 4 (Tracey Ehl-Harrison)
Release Date: August 23, 2024
Duration: 34 minutes
This podcast, called “Raising Parents”, explores the idea that as kids learn, parents learn – in essence, that kids raise their parents too.
My fourth guest is Tracey Ehl-Harrrison, a fellow partner-in-crime along this parenting journey. Attached below are some of the topics we covered during our conversation.
Lifelong learning is a continuous journey of personal and professional growth that enriches our lives and keeps our minds engaged. It goes beyond formal education, embracing the pursuit of knowledge and skills throughout all stages of life. This commitment to learning fosters a sense of balance, as it helps us adapt to change, stay relevant in an ever-evolving world, and maintain a healthy curiosity.
Moreover, lifelong learning is a powerful source of inspiration, driving us to explore new ideas, challenge our perspectives, and connect more deeply with our passions and the world around us. By embracing lifelong learning, we not only expand our horizons but also cultivate a life of purpose and fulfillment.
Episode Title: Raising Parents – Episode 3 (Jane Scheufler)
Release Date: August 1, 2024
Duration: 31 minutes
This podcast, called “Raising Parents”, explores the idea that as kids learn, parents learn – in essence, that kids raise their parents too.
My third guest is Jane Scheufler, a fellow partner-in-crime along this parenting journey. Attached below are some of the topics we covered during our conversation.
Episode Title: Raising Parents – Episode 2 (Nicole Reist)
Release Date: July 28, 2024
Duration: 25 minutes
This podcast, called “Raising Parents”, explores the idea that as kids learn, parents learn – in essence, that kids raise their parents too.
My second guest is Nicole Reist, a fellow partner-in-crime along this parenting journey. Attached below are some of the topics we covered during our conversation.
Episode Title: Raising Parents – Episode 1 (Breanna Parent)
Release Date: July 21, 2024
Duration: 28 minutes
This podcast, called “Raising Parents”, explores the idea that as kids learn, parents learn – in essence, that kids raise their parents too.
My first guest is Breanna Parent, my oldest daughter. Attached below are some of the topics we covered during our conversation.
While the adolescent years are a time of growth and exploration, one of the disadvantages of this phase of life is that adolescents don’t typically have alot of perspective – that is, hindsight or foresight. To be fair, it is almost impossible to have a realistic expectation of what the future may (or may not) hold when you simply haven’t had alot of life experience yet. It is only the “here and now” that seems relevant, and many have not developed the coping skills needed to manage emotionally turbulent experiences that often accompany this phase. Admittedly, it can be a pretty tough time.
But as time goes on, one develops resilience and perspective. And after going through the adolescent phase with my own two daughters, I now realize how incredibly helpful hindsight and foresight would have been to me as a teen, back in those formative years.
So, knowing what I know now, this is what I would tell my adolescent self – with love and acceptance.
Creating a memorable graduation experience is the perfect way to acknowledge all the hard work and resilience of your soon-to-be university graduate. This June, as my daughter prepared to graduate from McMaster University, I also felt that we were making up for lost time. Covid time. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, her graduating class had already been stripped of a proper high school graduation, a senior prom, and a first-year, on-campus university experience. So, I embraced the opportunity to go all out!
Before planning any festive occasion, I look for ideas and inspiration – colours, décor, food & beverages, music, gifts, wardrobe – to create an overall look and feel. While the convocation ceremony itself would be designed and executed by the university, the rest was open to some personal creativity!
Continue reading “Creating a Memorable Graduation Experience”
There have been many camping traditions established by our family over the years – but most recently, on Father’s Day, we spent time together at the Pinery Provincial Park in Ontario, Canada. While the standing joke has always been – “there’s no “k” (Kay) in camping” – the truth is, I have accompanied my family on many camping adventures over the years and I think it is fair to say that I’ve been a pretty good sport about it.
Admittedly, while not my personal favourite, camping is a wholesome family activity like no other, and the truth is, I know how much my husband and two daughters have come to enjoy and look forward to it. So much so, that this year, my husband “announced” that he will be at the Pinery every Father’s Day from now on, and that if anyone wants to spend time with him on that day, they can find him there. But no pressure!
So, in the spirit of Father’s Day and family harmony, I did join my husband and two daughters for a weekend of camping. In fact, here’s a little tour of our campsite.
Continue reading “Camping Traditions: A Father’s Day Tribute”
Navigating the last five years with balance, inspiration, and beauty was definitely a big challenge. Alot has happened – to all of us. A global pandemic, economic challenges, virtual classrooms, remote (and now hybrid) workforces, significant disruptions to the American democratic system, ongoing global warming concerns, the emergence of artificial intelligence – the list goes on and on.
Many of these unprecedented events have directly impacted me and my family. While some of the impacts were challenging personally, on a positive note, they also encouraged me to pick up the proverbial pen (again) to reinvigorate sincerelykayparent.
Continue reading “Navigating the Last Five Years: Balance, Inspiration, and Beauty”
So often in life, we are faced with challenges and opportunities that require significant endurance. Life, consequently, becomes more of a marathon than a sprint. Although I have not yet run an actual marathon race, I can nonetheless imagine how one must feel leading up to Mile 26. The proverbial Final Stretch. Continue reading “The Final Stretch”
Sincerely Kay Parent 