Can we just wait a year to start kindergarten?" I get asked this constantly, especially by parents of December babies and busy young boys. Redshirting is rare in Ontario, and most people don't know the one clause in the Education Act that families can lean on. Here's what's actually possible, where it gets complicated, and whether holding back even helps.

Remember applying to university? Pick a few schools, fill out a form, done. Your kids face nothing like that. Post-secondary planning has become a maze of programs, deadlines, essays and scholarships — and the school guidance counsellor trying to help them is often responsible for 400 or more students at once. Here's why more parents are getting their teen real, focused support for the next step, and the guidance gap nobody mentions in the public vs. private debate.

Why can't my child sit still?" If you've ever asked that in frustration or worry, you're in good company. What looks like restlessness is often a kinesthetic learning style, not a problem to fix. Here's how to tell the difference between an active learner and ADHD, and how to find a school where your child can actually thrive.

Throughout my career as an educator, I routinely saw families feeling very intimidated by the IPRC process and the idea of sitting down at a table with a group of educators and school administrators to discuss what identification their child would receive and what placement they would receive.

What would they ask? What could they ask? Could they disagree? All of these thoughts often circled through their minds.

So you go through the process of getting an IEP created for your child with the belief that things will start to improve once it’s in place, and then in the months to come, it doesn’t.

The tips parents need when navigating the high school transition for a child in special education.

How you can create more meaningful new year resolutions and engage your child in the process.