Last week I had the opportunity to host Constable Sarah Marcantonio from the Ottawa Police Youth Unit for an evening of conversation with parents. The discussion covered everything from social media and online safety to teen independence, shopping malls, human trafficking awareness, gaming, and one topic that surfaced again and again: how do we keep our kids safe while still allowing them the freedom they need to grow? What followed was a practical, honest conversation filled with insights...

Ontario's attendance crisis isn't about motivation. As a family addiction counsellor and life skills educator, what I hear from teenagers is simpler and more urgent — they don't have the social and interpersonal skills to walk through the door. Here's what we're missing.

Emotional outsourcing doesn’t announce itself. It blends into daily life — into small, ordinary moments we often mistake for connection, support, or coping. It isn’t loud or dramatic. It feels normal — until a pattern begins to emerge. A teen today can feel calm — as long as someone else is holding it. A text comes in. A friend responds. A parent reassures. A screen distracts. Relief arrives — but it isn’t owned. More teens are learning how to borrow calm, without ever learning how to buil