Pro parenting tips from a pro non-parent

There’s nothing quite like reading tips someone posts about a topic they have no direct experience with. This is one of those posts.

The topic of babies comes up quite frequently among a group of my friends. They are at that stage in life we're they're expecting their second (and some their third!) child, and it's great. 

It’s with that excited spirit I share some ways of raising children, in a half-joking and half-please-please-let's sort of way. In no particular order:

No Toys until the age of five. I'm not suggesting that the kid's going to be bored out of his mind at first, but I think finding ways to stimulate the mind will be great. I'm thinking instead of toys, why not cardboard boxes? It's a huge money saver, but more importantly it opens their creative minds to think up all the radical things they can make. A battle ship, a castle, talk show set, the list can go on of what they can create.

Jurassic Park before bed each night. I don't mean play them the movie; that may scar them early and stop them from ever seeing it. No, what I'm going to do is have them play me Jurassic Park to sleep. It really serves three great purposes: helps them with whatever musical instrument they wish to play, they hear great music and their father gets the proper rest he needs to raise them. Win-win-win.

Overseas trip before age seven. We're not talking your typical Disneyland adventure, all-inclusive resorts or five-star dining experiences. I'm thinking sending them to a third-world nation to do or see some humanitarian good in action. The intention is to keep them humble and generous in their North American home, or wherever in the world we may be living.

Bring basics back. Maybe this is related to the no toys thing, but maybe what we need is less dependence on technology and a higher focus on prime necessities. When I say technology I don’t mean simply whether a five-year-old is playing with an iPhone; I mean, do we really need a super-powered stroller that takes up more space on a bus than a classroom full of children? A plain thrift store stroller may suffice. Lord knows the generations before us managed.

Who knows whether these ideas will stick? Maybe I will end up doing none of them and instead look back and laugh at my own naivety. Either way, here are some ideas from people who are really nailing this parenting thing.

Fall TV Lineup

The major networks have announced which new shows they are going to be bringing in the fall, and after viewing some (okay, all) of the trailers, I am ready to give my verdict on which I think will become hits and misses. I will note reasons for a few.

ABC
Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. - HIT (reason: you need a reason? Okay: Joss Whedon, Avengers, Superheroes, Action and PHIL COULSON)
Once Upon a Time in Wonderland - HIT (reason: I was surprised that Once Upon A Time got picked up, but its success warrants a similar fate for this spin-off)
Super Fun Night - FLOP
The Goldbergs - FLOP
Lucky 7 - FLOP
Back in the Game - UNSURE
Betrayal - FLOP
Trophy Wife - FLOP
Mixology - FLOP
Resurrection - UNSURE
Killer Women - FLOP
Mind Games - HIT

CBS
The Crazy Ones - FLOP
The Millers - FLOP
Mom - FLOP
We Are Men - FLOP
Friends with Better Lives - UNSURE
Hostages - FLOP
Intelligence - FLOP
Reckless - UNSURE

FOX
Almost Human - UNSURE (reason: no trailer posted)
Sleepy Hollow - HIT (reason: It will play out the same way Grimm did)
Dads - FLOP (reason: incredibly sexist, which makes sense when you learn Seth MacFarlane is behind this)
Brooklyn Nine-Nine - UNSURE (reason: funny, but the extended adolescence Samberg plays is  a little beyond ridiculous)
Rake - FLOP (reason: he's too much of a disaster, no matter how good a lawyer he is)
Junior Masterchef - UNSURE (reason: no trailer posted, but it looks successful in other parts of the world so why not)
Enlisted - FLOP (reason: an insult to the military)

NBC
The Blacklist - HIT (the best trailer I've seen thus far. James Spader is perfect for this role, giving off a hint of Hannibal Lector without being so obvious)
Ironside - UNSURE (reason: this reminds me a lot of Flashpoint, and that was a success for a while)
Welcome to the Family - FLOP
Sean Saves the World - FLOP
The Michael J. Fox Show - FLOP (reason: same reason Go On didn't go on, whatever reason that was)
Dracula - FLOP
Believe - FLOP (reason: telekinesis is not good for TV, just saying...)
Crisis - HIT (reason: creative concept, I think it will keep people interested)
About a Boy - UNSURE
The Family Guide - UNSURE

Issues Management from Frank Underwood

We had finished our Crisis Communication exam a month ago. It was a simulation in which an emergency occurred in a fictional plant and we had to deliver an appropriate response in under a few hours. With the emergence of social media, the gap has closed for an organization's response to be released in a matter of minutes, but for this purpose we had enough stress. 

A scene from Netflix's House of Cards that I keep coming back to when thinking about crisis management is when Frank Underwood takes an immediate trip to his state because of a text-and-drive situation involving a controversial peach water tower. The actions Underwood took screams effective communication in more ways than one, thought I'd point them out.

1) First, he gathered all the facts. The moment he was informed of the situation, he was asking the right questions about what had happened.

2) He literally put what he was doing on hold (drafting an education reform bill) and personally went to the grieving family, putting people first.

3) His visit is not welcomed by the grieving family, yet his persistence pays off when he takes a moment during a church service to address the emotional pain felt by the community and the family. He segmented his audience from the community at large and the victim's family first-hand, putting people first.

4) In terms of what to do with the hideous orange water tower, Underwood proposed that the lights remain turned off during the day so as to reduce energy, and the money saved will go towards creating an educational scholarship named after the victim. This is a prime example of acting in the best interest of both parties: reduced future risk with the lights turned off and showing citizens that people come first.

There are costs associated with risks, and what Underwood did was essentially minimize the risks and therefore the costs by closely examining the issues. This could have very easily turned into a larger crisis, but the issues were managed early and managed well. 

The writing in this show is excellent, but there are plenty of real-life examples (good and bad) happening right now. All it takes is reading the paper and staying informed. 

Location, location, location

The travel required for me to reach the Humber campus last semester was brutal! 

I often considered just up and moving to the Etobicoke area some days. Instead, I've decided to save some money and focus on the positives of living in the east end, at least for this new semester. I bet you I can identify some fun facts to be appreciated about my geolocation (thanks parents!).

Some factoids about where I live.

• My house sits between two major intersections that provide me three bus route options for whatever my destination might be.
• My house is located nearer to the end of the line for my major bus routes. This offers two great benefits: I am always guaranteed a seat, and the express bus doesn't pass by as it does for the busier routes.
• My house is located right off the highway, literally on the same road which makes it significantly easy for me to direct people when they're picking me up or dropping me off.
• My house has very close proximity to community amenities: schools, convenient stores, library, etc
• My house is conveniently positioned nearby people who can offer to drop me off. The reason for this because the borough next door is a more likely destination for young couples to move in and begin raising families. The bonus for me is being available for third-wheel dating.
• My house is located in one of the safest parts of Toronto. I can say this while acknowledging the fact I live between two gangs, and it's still true!
• Some of the friends I grew up with still live in the area, making weekly get-togethers very valuable
• The bus route I take connects to the last subway station on the line. This is great for two reasons: It means I'm almost always guaranteed a spot on the train, and the train is always going the same direction so there's no chance of ever boarding the wrong one!

Now it's your turn. What are some positives about where you live?

Humber PR Summer Start

The new semester has started up this week and the campus definitely transformed while we were away. More green, more sun, more fun!

However...

The food services are severely limited and they took away my Booster Juice! But on top of saving some coin, there are few positives in having school in the summer.

• Waking up early is not as difficult, and the commute is shorter for some reason
• Prime parking spots available
• Picnics!

I'm pulling an Amish look

• Summer activities - last semester we thought up ideas of what to do before summer ended. Here is our list

Some great things to do in Scarborough!

• Greenery - it's true I'm not a great admirer for the outdoors, but the campus looks great with a few trees

They are starting to bloom

• Privacy - it feels like the campus is ours when no one is around, it feels good
• Less stress - even though the amount of work remains nearly the same, the weather certainly helps keep everyone cool, calm, collected

I'm sure there are many more points to add, but it's still only the first week. 

Definitely looking forward to the summer months, and hopefully fit a little bit of traveling between assignments!

Humber PR Pro tip: Get an Agenda!

I know we covered the importance of managing time tables, but to make a stronger emphasis on time management skills, here's another tip: get an agenda!

I thought I could go without one, but six weeks into the program there were just too many assignments and especially too many groups to retain in the head. Soon I was getting group members mixed up and what assignments were due and when. It was starting to get out of hand. 

You think this may be a slight exaggeration, but here is the photo evidence: 

 

 


Those were all taken from Vanessa's agenda, which motivated me to think about getting one myself. Well, at some point you need to stop simply THINKING about it and DO it. That's when I marched right to my student federation and... kindly requested an agenda for free. They gave me this one:

But I wouldn't stop at just an agenda. An App I would strongly recommend is Classes. This classy app is great for counting down when your next class will be and organizing your exams and assignments. 

Humber PR Pro Tip: Managing Timetables

Humber PR really schooled me in time management. I will elaborate more on this in a future post, but for now let's focus on one thing students in the program should keep in mind: their timetable. 

Here is what my timetable looked like last semester (Jan '13):

Courses consisted of: Writing Lab, Event Planning & Management, Public Affairs, Social & Digital Media, Practice & Theory, Corporate & Int'l PR, Marketing Communications, Strategic Communications.

Many students have a part-time job, and the first semester provided opportunities for early morning shifts Tuesdays and Thursdays, depending on opening hours. It really depends on what your schedule looks like, so check early before you submit your work hours. 

Here is what my timetable looks like next semester (May '13)

Courses will consist of: Writing Lab 2, Design, PR in the Workplace, Presentation Skills, CSR & Sustainability, Change Management, Research, Non-Profit PR, Media Relations. 

If semester two looks heavier than semester one, it's because the second semester has one extra course with very minimal breaks. Really the moral of the story is that no two timetables are ever alike. In the past there have been some days that are completely free, which is a big help.

Think about what you will do during your breaks between classes. Many of us eat lunch together and this really helps in meshing with classmates. Team meetings are made possible also. 

Whatever you choose to do, make sure that time is invested well!