Ideas And Encouragement

Summer is a season of sensory delights!  Whether it is feeling the warmth of the sun on our skin, hearing the laughter of children playing outdoors, enjoying a flavourful ice cream treat, breathing in the scent of flowers in full bloom, or gazing up at clear blue skies – summer is simply fantastic! Read on […]

With the longest daylight hours of the year, isn’t June a wonderful month? The warmth and light brightens our days and promotes feelings of optimism. Watching buds and blooms emerge, reminds us of the possibilities that exist for growth and development. This month, our theme is GROW! At Children’s Link we love to encourage people […]

  Spring is often a season of renewed energy.  People emerge from behind closed doors and begin to reconnect with one another outside in the neighbourhood, at outdoor events and markets, on bike paths, patio decks, and in parks.  It’s a wonderful thing! Connection is energy between people.  Relationships with others bring joy and meaning […]

Welcome to Spring! Thankfully, spring is a season that breathes new life into the world around us. It increases our motivation to nurture and care for things, so they will flourish. Although it may be too soon to begin planting our gardens and flowers just yet, we can always work on cultivating growth in our […]

  Do you feel it?  With lessened restrictions and the spring season just around the corner, there seems to be a new energy in the air these days!  Makes a person want to MOVE!  Read on to find out more about ways to be active as a family living with disability – and receive a […]

One of the greatest gifts in this life, is the opportunity to care for one another. In a world that often emphasizes huge accomplishments, it is easy to feel that our care for those around us is insignificant.  But that is not the case. Those ‘little’ things we do for our children with special needs, […]

The beginning of a new year is a great time to RENEW and reconnect! And, although the ways we choose to engage with one another may be different during a pandemic, it is still important that we seek community.  For it is with others where we can explore ideas, embrace opportunities, learn new things, find support, and experience renewal!  How do you plan to RENEW this January?  Children’s Link staff are passionate about connecting families, […]

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Omisoka, or simply just appreciate the winter wonderland here in Alberta, the holiday season is upon us!’ For many special needs families, the holidays have become more about survival instead of celebration. The winter ‘break’ from school and day programming can often cause disruption. Shopping, travel, visitors, and holiday […]

Congratulations!  You’ve made it through all the busyness and chaos of the fall season, and likely have a few weeks before things start to ramp up again, prior to Christmas. 😊 Now is your chance!  BREATHE, JUST BREATHE!  Breathing – which is something you are doing right now, likely without even thinking about it, is a proven stress reliever!  And, if you breathe just a little bit deeper, you may feel more relaxed, ease emotional distress, relieve pain, […]

There is a beautiful quote that states:   As we enter the month of October and prepare for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, let us be especially grateful for all that we have, including the unexpected blessings we have received in our lives– like our children with disabilities!    At the Children’s Link Society, we appreciate that it can often be difficult for parents to find gratitude for something they didn’t sign up […]

As we leave summer behind and begin to adjust to new fall routines, there will be many opportunities for us to connect (and reconnect) with others.  We often do a great job of arranging ‘play dates’ and social opportunities for our children with disabilities – but what about ourselves, as caregivers?  Having a social network is just as important for parents as it is for […]

It’s back to school season! We’ve filled our backpacks with notebooks and pencils, packed our lunch bags, and created school year schedules, but there’s one thing that’s easy to forget. Self-care! Something absolutely essential to include in our backpacks to ensure we have the happiest and healthiest school year possible. As much as we can’t […]

Welcome to our website! We hope that you are able to find helpful resources, information, and more about Children’s Link here! We know our website can sometimes be tricky to use at first, so here you will find a step-by-step guide to using our website. Please note: Our website works best using Google Chrome. What […]

While many of you have already met Yasmin, we are so excited to formally introduce her! Yasmin began working at Children’s Link in February as a family support staff and has been such a wonderful member of our team. As a mom of a child with a disability and a parent who is new to […]

COVID – 19 Online Resources  It is important to note that The Children’s Link Society does not endorse or recommend the following resources. We have simply compiled a list of supports for families to utilize during the Covid-19 Pandemic.   Laptop Donation:   Electronic Recycling Association — new program: Lending a Lifeline by Lending Laptops. With […]

I am writing this article, after having been at home for the first 5 school days with all 4 of our kids. I wanted to make sure that during this extremely challenging time for everyone, that I was following through and doing the advice and tips myself on a daily basis. This is a very […]

I distinctly remember the day my son was diagnosed.  Parents don’t forget receiving that type of news.  Somehow, after listening to the cluster of labels applied to my child, I ended up at the grocery store.  The clerk asked calmly, as if my world hadn’t just been crushed, “How are you today?”  I shoved down […]

As a parent of a child with special needs, I can’t tell you how many times someone has innocently said, “I don’t know how you do it.”  Meant to be an empathetic comment, it often left me wanting to respond, “I don’t know either,” or “It’s not like I have a choice…” Being a special-needs […]

The right to feel angry The right to seek another opinion The right to privacy The right to keep trying The right to stop trying The right to set limits The right to be a parent The right to be unenthusiastic The right to be annoyed with your child The right to time off The […]