Our aim is to offer parents information and resources to improve overall family dynamics—from fostering leadership skills, to starting challenging conversations, embracing nutritious eating habits, and structuring our home environments to inspire healthy living.
The hearth and chimney have played both literal and figurative structural roles in the home. The hearth was where it all happened. It provided heat, light and daily nourishment so we gathered there.
But what is the hearth of the home in 2020? And how do we create better literal and figurative hearths in our home with the aim to improve family dynamics?
Food is essential for life but our modern diet seems to be doing more harm than good. What then constitutes a well balanced diet?
The best answer may be the simplest: eat real foods, the kind that come in nature’s wrapping. Let's learn how to "let food be our medicine" and H. E. A. L. our families through Healthy Eating and Active Living.
One of the challenges of our digitally connected world is that it is impossible to form a bubble around our homes and children. Information, some of it good, some of it dangerous is at their fingertips.
As parents, we need to be prepared to have difficult conversations. Our children need to see their parents as experts they can turn to for informed and honest answers to tough questions.
Parenting is leadership. Parents have the first and most lasting leadership influence on their children. It is important to understand how values-based leadership can strengthen family relationships.
The challenge then is to define our family values and use them as we lead. As our family dynamics evolve, our leadership skills will also develop over time and with experience.
We are siblings with distinct professional backgrounds representing four unique specialities focused on the common objective of building healthy families. We are not clinicians, or researchers; we are simply parents speaking to other parents about raising families.
Gary is a Principal at Abaton Projects in Vancouver, British Columbia. He holds degrees in architecture from the University of Waterloo and has a lifetime of experience in building. Gary's practice has allowed him to work on a variety of projects from garden benches and teeter-totters to luxury custom homes. He has had the opportunity to collaborate with leading architects and artists from all over the globe.
Four years ago, Gary who has two sons, married Keri who is the mother of seven children. This union introduced him to the wonder that is grandparenthood. In his spare time, when he can find it, Gary will be found on any type of ski (alpine, Nordic or water) or on his bicycle.
Valerie coaches individuals in lifestyle medicine and is an advocate for the Nutritarian approach to diet. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Western Ontario. Valerie has had success with clients to help reduce the impact of chronic diseases.
With her husband Scott, Valerie enjoys large gatherings surrounded by their ever growing family. Eight children are now a crew of Twenty. Great food is always on the agenda, and when she is not busy working with clients or entertaining family and friends, she can be found swimming, running or hiking.
Marilyn is a speaker, writer, and coach. She is best known for an honest and direct approach in helping families confront the challenges of raising kids in a media saturated world.
Marilyn holds a degree in Family, Home and Social Science from Brigham Young University. She is the Founder and CEO of Parentsaware.info, an online resource aimed at helping parents have healthy conversations with their kids about pornography. As well, she co-hosts and produces the Media Savvy Moms podcast.
Home is Marilyn's comfort zone—although she is always up for an adventure, and she loves to travel with her husband Steven and any combination of their five sons.
Murray is a principal with The Achievement Centre and a professor of leadership in the School of Business at Conestoga College. He teaches both business leaders and college students to practice values-based leadership, communication, and teamwork to define strategies and accomplish objectives.
The home and family is the place where some of the best values-based leadership lessons can be taught. Murray is the husband to Felicity and father to two grown daughters. His family has been his unintended laboratory for leadership experiments—mostly successful, with a few glitches caused by the “lead expert.”