Episode list

The yelling, the swearing, the anger - it's not on the ice, but in the stands at youth sporting events. Planet Parent looks at the out-of-control behaviour some parents have when at their kids' games and the impact it has overall on youth sports. We speak to Fred Engh, author of "Why Johnny Hates Sports" as well we hear what the players, parents, and coaches have to say. How to: Monitor Your Child's Internet Use Do you know who your kids are talking to online? How do you tread the fine line between invading their privacy and keeping a watchful and responsible eye on their online activities? We give parents some tips on monitoring their kids Internet use; featuring advice from Cathy Wing of the Media Awareness Network. Tips include talking to your kids about keeping your computer in an open area and not giving out personal information online. Video Diary: The Rose family: Shy brother/Actor brother Nine year old, Evan Rose, is an outgoing kid who loves acting and wants to make a career out of it. Much of his family's life revolves around getting him to auditions and other related activities. His brother, 11 year old Josh, sometimes feels lost in the shuffle. In this episode's Video Diary, the Rose parents talk about the challenges of balancing the boys' needs, while Josh talks about his ambivalence to his younger brother's acting.

Beginning in the first grade many students are being assigned homework. While some families and teachers believe this helps kids get a good start on the rigors of academic life, others aren't so sure. They believe that homework can interfere with family time and that maybe kids should just be out playing and being kids in the hours after school. In this week's Feature teachers, experts and parents discuss the divisive topic. Reality check: Baby Prefers Mom New dad Steve Pratt worries that his 15-month-old daughter doesn't like him all that much. Ponies, chocolate and a ban on napping are offered as bribes to his unimpressed daughter Cedar. How to: Teens and Clothing Allowance Teens love shopping, and parents need to know how to teach them to make responsible purchases. We share some tips for getting your teen on a clothing allowance, with help from financial adviser Paul Barton and teen shopping demons and their moms. Video Diary: The Sawh Family: Surviving Cancer When Dianne Sawh was diagnosed with breast cancer, her husband and children realized that her recovery was a family affair. Fourteen year old Danielle talks about how the family rallied around their mother, who's now cancer free.

While adolescents aren't usually involved in violent crimes, they do commit crimes like shoplifting, vandalism and graffiti. Psychologist Dr. Harvey Armstrong and youth counselor Jim Turriff discuss why tweens break the law and how to deal with it. Several members of the Toronto Police Force show us the Saddle Up for Success program that involves troubled youth and horseback riding, while one mom talks about both her sons' brushes with the law. How to: Teach your Kids to Set Goals Whether it's getting an 'A' on that book report or nailing a spot on the swim team, kids need to learn how to achieve their goals. Experts from the Goals for Growth foundation offer some advice for helping your kids realize their goals. Video Diary: Russian Circus Family Lots of kids dream about running away and joining the circus, but what if your whole family is already in the circus? Well, you join them, of course. George Aristov is only 11 years old, and he's already a veteran performer. His parents, Igor and Tatiana, came to Canada from Russia 12 years ago. Now the three Aristovs tour all over North America performing under the big top. In this week's video diary, the Aristovs show us their balancing act.

When we think of adoption, we usually think of anxious couples looking near and far for a suitable newborn, but not all adoptions involve babies. In fact, every year thousands of couples adopt older children. For these new parents, this means adjusting to a child who's had a life - and a whole set of experiences - before they meeting their family. For the child, it means two brand new people are 'mom' and 'dad'. In this week's Feature, we'll hear from a grown woman who was adopted as a 3 year old, 11 year old Amanda who was adopted at 8, and from child experts on the joys and frustrations of adopting older children. Reality Check Mom Christine Diakos is somewhat alarmed when her 4 year old, Isabella, claims to have a boyfriend. How to: Pack Your Kid's Lunch In this week's How To, The Globe and Mail's Food Editor Lucy Waverman says 'let's do lunch' - and shares some fun and easy lunch bag tips. Video Diary: Yoga Family Yoga is a 5000 year old physical and spiritual tradition that has recently made huge gains in mainstream popularity. Temmi Ungerman-Sears runs a parent/child yoga studio out of her house where she lives with her husband and three kids. We gave her family a video camera for this look at how they practice what they preach... sort of.

Despite years of aggressive anti-smoking campaigns, one in five teens are still lighting up. Experts Brian Dalloway, a public health nurse, and Cheryl Moyer talk about why this is the case, while teens Monika and Celeste explain why they smoke even though it could kill them. Reality Check Jennifer McAuley shares her thoughts about the ever-escalating menagerie that are her family's pets. How to: Kids Stay Home Alone Here's what every parent and kid needs to know about staying home safely and unsupervised. Video Diary: Best Buddies Minh and Jonathon are part of a program that pairs developmentally handicapped students with peers without this frame of reference. This is the story of an extraordinary friendship.

With a world of new options on the dating front, parents are finding it easier to jump back into the socializing fray. Dating Coach Kateryna Spiwak joins several newly dating parents to check out today's dating scene for single parents. Reality Check: Baby-ese Steve Pratt walks us through the bewildering subtleties of 'baby-ese' with his daughter Cedar. How to: First Visit to the Dentist The first visit to the dentist doesn't have to be like pulling teeth. We offer some handy tips on setting the stage for happy dental interaction. Video Diary: National Ballet Kid Armando's been attending the prestigious National Ballet School for 4 years. His dad's a chef, his mom works in the restaurant, and his two sister's sometimes tease him about being a diva.

Eleven year old Jewel has a thriving jewelry business, and 18 year old Kazim fixes computers. They are just two of an enterprising group of youngsters who are taking care of business. Jeff Brown, author of "Kids Guide to Business" talks about the benefits of being a young entrepreneur. How to: Tell Your Kids You're Divorcing Telling kids that your marriage is ending can be pretty traumatic no matter what the circumstances. We share some tips from child psychologist Roz Kindler on coping with this difficult discussion. Video Diary: Pesky Little Brother Fourteen year old Piper put together this loving and frank look at life with her 9 year old little brother, Hunter.

The popularity of homeschooling has grown exponentially over the last decade. In this week's feature, we talk to several parents about their decisions to home school their kids. Professor Gary Knowles weighs in with some surprising conclusions about the impact this is having on our education system. Reality Check Christine Diakos loves 4 year old Isabella's artistic output. She just doesn't know what to do with it all. How-To: Friendship 101 Some kids need a little guidance when it comes to learning how to make friends. Ann Douglas, the author of "The Mother of All Baby Books" has some ice-breaking advice. Video Diary: Gay Dads This is the story of two little boys, saved by two very special parents; young Nicholas was found beside the body of his dead mother in the streets of India, meanwhile, half a world away, Kolwyn's mother died of AIDS in Canada. Today the two boys are brothers, and although they both lost their mothers, they now share two fathers.

flow, our housing and our lifestyles. But children also have an impact on something that we don't always think about - our relationship with our spouse. In this week's feature, we look at how to find balance while nurturing your children and your marriage, with therapists Louise Dorfman, David Rubinstein and a couple of REALLY BUSY families. How to: Survive a Sleepover It's after midnight and they're just winding down. What you need for sleepover success is a plan. Author Ann Douglas saves the day (or is that night?) with some helpful hints. Video diary: Teen Comic Now here's a funny story. Did you hear the one about the daughter of the two computer analysts? They thought she'd follow in their tech footsteps, but the joke was on them, Sabrina Jalees has chosen a career... in comedy. At 18, she's a stand up gal and she already has a budding stage and TV career. In this Video Diary, Sabrina brings her one-woman show to Planet Parent.

When it comes to birth order, the common belief is that first-borns have an advantage, but where does that leave the rest of the children in the family? Do the number of kids you have and where they rank in birth order have anything to do with their success or failure in life? We talk to experts like sociologist Dalton Conley, author of "The Pecking Order" and family therapist Gloria May, as well as to parents to hear their take. Reality Check: Kid's Music New dad Steve Pratt has a bone to pick with kids' musician Fred Penner, and he's taking revenge with his guitar. How-to: Tween Birthday Party Are you aiming for a good birthday party for an eight to twelve-year-old? Party hats and "pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey" are out, and yet they're still not old enough to grab a group of friends and do their own thing. At this age, having the right kind of party can be a BIG issue. Here's how to plan a successful tween birthday party. Video Diary: Reptile Kid Young Killian has always been a little different. When he was six, he started breeding fish, at eight he started getting pet snakes and today he's something of an expert on endangered reptiles. His passion now is educating people about these scaly and unloved creatures, and he's still only 11 years old. We gave Killian a camera for this look into his world.

Today there are new shots to protect against strep, pneumonia, chickenpox and a form of meningitis. By the age of five, most children will have had 18 shots. Doctors say it means more protection against serious diseases, but some parents worry that the needle could be a double-edged sword: preventing some diseases but causing other health problems. We talk to new moms, naturopath Karen Barnes and pediatrician Dr. Norman Blustein about the issues raised by today's vaccines. Reality Check Steve Pratt checks in with 15 month old Cedar for a parenting report card. Job evaluations were never like this! How to: Help Mend a Broken Heart It goes hand in hand with being a teenager - first comes love... then comes the inevitable breakup, and your teen is left trying to make sense of it all. We talk with teens and experts all while helping them cope with losing a first love. Video diary: Gostick Family If you have a sick child who needs medical care far away from home, staying in a hotel can be pretty expensive and lonely. In this week's Video Diary, we hear from the Gostick family, as they tell us about their time at Ronald McDonald House - a charity that provides a home away from home for families with sick children - when little Jesse was hospitalized.

It's tough being a dad these days. Men want to be the best fathers possible, but does that mean being the breadwinner or the bottle warmer? We check in with some new and expectant dads for their take on the latest in fatherhood, and fathering coach Neil Campbell of Dad's Can offers workshops on becoming a dad. How To: Getting Enough Sleep Researchers say preteens aren't getting the 10 hours of sleep they need and it's becoming a serious health issue. In this How To, Dr. Ian MacLusky of the Sleep Clinic at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children provides advice on how to make sure your kids get the right amount of sleep. Video Diary: Jimmy Bowskill He picked up the guitar just three years ago at age 10, and soon after he was discovered in front of a blues club owned by guitar virtuoso Jeff Healey. Since then Jimmy Bowskill has been on a fast track towards major success. We gave Jimmy a camera to document what it's like to be a 13 year old band leader; juggling grade eight while making music on the road.

If your kids are involved in sports or clubs, you know how hectic it can be just getting them to everything on time. Now imagine that your child is a world-class, elite athlete; a kid who has to train, workout and compete for hours every week, on top of going to school, doing homework and everything else that kids do. We talk to the parents, coaches, and psychologist Judy Gooses about the unique demands of raising an elite athlete. How to: Kid Acting Out Attention-seeking behaviour is something many children go through and many parents think they will never survive. It's the whining, the interruptions and the amazingly elaborate stunts children will come up with to be the center of attention. The head of Ryerson University's Early Childhood Education program, Dale Shipley, talks about how to handle, and change, attention-seeking behaviour. Video Diary: Seymour Update When we first met Nicole Seymour, her life was chaotic; she had a new baby and was feeling overwhelmed and lonely as a young stay-at-home mom. It wasn't easy. Two and half years later, Nicole has come a long way.

We all know some famous older dads: men like Clint Eastwood, Woody Allan and Tony Randall. Later-life dads are becoming more common than ever before, as women are delaying having kids to devote time to their careers, and men are remarrying younger women who want families. Today we'll meet three older dads to see what surprises them, impresses them and keeps them young. How to: Kite Flying Kite flying and kite building are pass times that combine both art and science. Kites let a child's imagination soar! In this week's How To, learn how to build and fly your very own kite. Video Diary: A Triplet Tale This video diary is about three people born on the same day at the same time to the same parents. You may think being triplets is a pretty big deal but to Chloe, Anthony and Mitchell it's small bananas. There is a lot more to them than meets the eye... and they have a few things they'd like to clear up.

Many kids today are facing some pretty tough problems: parents divorcing, getting bullied, or not fitting in at school. Sometimes parents are the last ones they want to talk to; that's when a mentor can make all the difference. They offer friendship, encouragement and a sounding board for kids. We look at mentors who have made that special bond with kids and changed their lives in the process. Reality Check Do you think it's easy for your friends without kids to be considered cool by your children? Non-parent Derek Miller has some thoughts on the effort he expends to stay hip in the eyes of little people. How to: Be Left-handed With 90 percent of the population being right-handed, how can parents' help their "little lefties" learn to successfully adapt to the right-handed world around them? Video Diary: Maya Chendke Maya Chendke's parents hardly ever see her, not because they're too busy, but because she is. Maya is a full time journalism student with an after school job, but that's not all, she also writes for one of Canada's largest magazines, and she's just returned from Trinidad. She might be a kid, but she's also a foreign correspondent.

Fast food, junk food, little or no exercise; they are all contributing to an increase in childhood obesity. Doctors say that up to 1 in 4 kids are obese. Those extra pounds are not only taking a toll on kids' health, but self-esteem as well. In this feature report, we look at a family who struggled with the extra weight together, and managed to turn things around. How to: Drive with Your Teen Being in the passenger seat with any driver can be a nail-biter, but when it's your inexperienced teen next to you, there is much more at stake. In this week's How To, we look at steering your new driver down the right road. Video Diary: On the Road with Baby New parents know it can be a real challenge to travel with a baby. This week we meet Ann and Neil, who not only traveled with their baby, but took baby Zara all the way to Korea so she could meet her mom's family.

Every year we see a new line of expensive, high-tech, flashy toys, but the truth is it doesn't matter if you were born a hundred years ago or last year, imagination has always been the focal point of play. This week's Feature looks at the history of play. Experts like Lynn McMaster of the Children's Museum in Ottawa say that play is extremely important - and you don't need expensive toys to have some fun. Reality Check Musical mom, Jennifer McAuley, asks the question: "why am I paying for all these expensive instruments and lessons for my kids?" How to: Exercise with Your Kids Ann Peel wants to see more parents exercise and play sports with their kids. She's a mother, a former champion speed walker and she's the spokesperson for Active Healthy Kids - a group dedicated to putting parents on the court with their children. This How To looks at getting active with your kids. Video Diary: Using Media to Communicate Parents know that a lot of teenagers aren't exactly gifted communicators. This Video Diary is about a project that targets urban teens in a high-crime area, teaching them to talk, listen and write through seeing and hearing themselves on TV, film and radio. Seventeen year old Justin is one of its success stories. He shows us what he's learned.

When it comes to volunteering, most of us picture a retired woman serving soup to the homeless, but up to one in three volunteers are younger than 24. Whether it's cleaning up the environment, doing office work, or aiding the elderly, many organizations couldn't function without them. Encouraging your child to volunteer can help build valuable job skills. In this week's Feature, Cathy Barr of The Canadian Centre for Philanthropy offers her insight. How To: Ready For School Junior Kindergarten is often a child's first step into the big world, and with it comes a new sense of independence. If your child has been in pre-school or at home with you, how do you know if your child is ready for the school system? Parenting Coach Terry Carson helps us shed some light on the question. Video Diary: Samba Family The rhythm and the beat of samba music is contagious, just ask Carla. She has all the right moves when it comes to having fun with her family. In this week's Video Diary we're going to see how dance and music keeps one family active and alive with tradition.

Bullies: every schoolyard has at least one. While it was once dismissed as harmless fooling around, bullying is now being taken more seriously. We hear from 11 year old Khaddre, a former bully, and his mom. Expert Dr. Diane Sacks, President of the Canadian Pediatric Society, along with school principals, Marita Adams and Linda Armstrong, who offer their insights into the innovative bullying-prevention program: Roots of Empathy. How To: Starting Kids on Chores Meet five year old Matthew. Keeping the front hall spiffy is Matthew's number one job. So what's the secret to getting your kids on board with housework? Trick them... start them when they're too young to know that housework's not supposed to be fun. This week's How To features tips from family life counselor Deb DeJong. Video Diary: Puppet Kids You've heard the saying, "talk to the hand," right? Well there's a group that educates young people about social problems and "the hand" actually talks back. Mark and Josh are a father/son team using puppets to talk about everything from gangs to losing a parent. The funny and sometimes touching performances have brought the two closer together, and as we'll see in this Video Diary, a personal tragedy has given the two a unique perspective.

One of the most important decisions parents can make is where to raise their family. For aboriginal parents that decision can be even tougher: on a reserve there are strong cultural influences and often a huge extended family to rely on, but cities offer more job opportunities and often better schools. In this episode, we'll meet two native families who had to decide between country security and urban opportunity; one family chose to move to the big city, while the other chose to stay on the reserve. This segment features Roger Obonsawin of the Aboriginal People's Council. Reality Check: Control of Your Space Remember those days before you had kids, when you could actually find the floor in your home before it became covered with toys? It's time to take back your space. Designer Cheryl Krismer came to the rescue of Karen Williamson, mom to 4 year old Megan and 6 year old Riley. How To: The Mommy-look Mother of two, Christine Diakos has abandoned her "yummy-mummy" wardrobe and has a new spin on maternal fashions. Video Diary: Storyteller Sally Jaegar has a pretty tough gig. A few days a week she has to face an unruly audience that may cry, throw up or drool at any moment, and she has to entertain them with her gift for gab. Sally is a professional storyteller and her daughter Erica has just joined the family business. In this week's Video Diary we're going to meet this mother/daughter act with tall tales to tell.

In this one-hour special, Planet Parent looks at Canada's skills crisis. Not enough of our children are learning skilled trades. Who's to blame? Parents! Experts, like Aldo Cianfrini of Skills Canada, predict that soon there won't be enough plumbers, electricians or construction workers to meet demands and make our economy grow. Why? Parents don't want their kids doing those jobs, even though they pay well and are in huge demand. Historian Craig Heron says ever since machines came onto the scene, skilled trades have diminished in esteem and today, the stereotype is that if you choose a trade over university, you're not as smart or ambitious as lawyers and computer programmers. We'll hear from several young people trying to buck the stereotype. Nineteen-year-old Anna Petryshyn's mother wanted her to go to university and become a dentist. But Anna is doing an apprenticeship to become a tool and die maker - a high-paying job with lots of demand. Unlike her friends, who have huge student loans, Anna is being paid while she learns. We'll find out what's being done to change attitudes and attract young trades people. And throughout the story, we'll hear from a candid, and often-comical panel of 10-year-olds, who tell us what their parents really think about skilled trades.

At any given hour in Canada, thousands of couples turn to fertility specialists like Dr. Michael Virro hoping he or she can do for them what Mother Nature could not. Give them a baby. On this special we meet Charmaine and Jim, who are on their 7th attempt at in vitro fertilization. Cathi, who's donating one of her eggs to her infertile sister, Kelly; Kevin, a single gay man who hired a surrogate to carry a donated egg fertilized with his sperm; and Olivia, who's mother sought an anonymous sperm donor 22 years ago. Each of these characters offers a unique perspective on the changing face of the early steps to becoming parents. We follow the roller coaster ride with Charmaine and Jim and Cathi and Kelly as they cross their fingers hoping contemporary science can help in their quest. Kevin, now the father of one-year-old Taylor, runs into a bureaucratic nightmare as he tries to contend with getting a birth certificate for a daughter who, officially, has no mother. And we hear from Olivia about her quest to find the man who's genetic material comprises half her makeup.

Geek, nerd, the weird kid. Every schoolyard has a couple: the kids on the fringes who play alone and have obsessive interests in say astronomy or insects. It's painful for these kids who just don't fit in and for their families who aren't sure how to help. But we are now learning that this kind of behaviour could be a sign of a kind of high-functioning autism known as Asperger's syndrome. Thousands of adults may have grown up with Asperger's and not known it. It's tough to diagnose and wasn't even defined until the mid-90's. This special episode of Planet Parent looks at the impact Asperger's has on through the stories of several families with Asperger's kids and an adult who grew up with the syndrome. We talk to researchers and other experts on the origin of this mysterious disorder and the hunt for a cure. With Dr. Peter Szatmari of the Offard Centre for Child Studies, McMaster University, geneticist Dr. Steve Scherer and social worker Dr. Kevin Stoddart.