Parenting 101: Positive Skills To Nurture A “Successful” Child

Polly Sidher Family, Health, Parenting, Self Development Leave a Comment

So are you going to go to school to be a doctor, an engineer or something of a similar [professional] caliber?  Being born into a South Asian family myself, these questions remain common amongst most the first and second generations of newcomers.  Parents worked hard to immigrate to a country wherein their children are given an opportunity for a better …

Living Your Dream Life

Polly Sidher Culture, Family, Published Articles, Relationships, Self Development Leave a Comment

Since ancient times, many wars have been fought battling the ‘good’ armies versus the ‘bad’ armies. But what does this mean to us in our modern day lives? Perhaps we can extend this ancient good versus evil concept towards developing ourselves. In today’s world, each of us has personal battles between the good and evil forces within us. Evil aspects …

What Is Your Parenting Style?

Polly Sidher Family, Health, Leisure, Parenting, Relationships Leave a Comment

Parenting can be a hugely stressful yet rewarding experience.  For most parents, the ultimate goal is to raise children who are healthy, happy, well-behaved, well-adjusted and resilient as adults.  However, the means to achieve this goal for kids through ‘good parenting’ has been debated for centuries.  For example, punishment has been a type of discipline used to curb ‘bad’ behaviour …

What does being a ‘Canadian’ mean to you?

Polly Sidher Culture, Family, Immigration, Parenting, Self Development Leave a Comment

When I was growing up as a young girl, I wanted to desperately ‘fit in’ with the rest of my classmates.  During our primary school days, my sister and I were the only children who looked racially ‘different’ from the rest of the students in our elementary school.  We had ‘brown skin’ and many of the children were unwelcoming to …

South Asian Mental Health Action & Awareness (SAMHAA)

Polly Sidher Culture, Family, Health, Published Articles, Self Development Leave a Comment

Mental Health and Wellness knows no nationality, race, colour, culture, community, socio-economic status, gender, sexual orientation, or profession.  In fact, it impacts and is impacted by all areas of one’s social, mental, physical, emotional, spiritual, psychological and financial health.  Canadian society has begun to shift its focus entirely from the ‘problems’ and reducing these ‘problems’ to focusing on how we …

Immigrant Parenting

Polly Sidher Culture, Family, Immigration, Parenting, Self Development Leave a Comment

Every immigrant parent who has moved to a new country has come here with hopes, expectations and intentions of creating a better life.  There are dreams and long-term plans to start a journey that will be ‘successful’ and comfortable not only for themselves and their children, but also for their future generations. However, with the challenges of starting a new …

Immigrant Women’s Health Resource Clinic

Polly Sidher Culture, Family, Immigration, Leisure, Parenting, Women’s Issues Leave a Comment

I was very fortunate to attend the very inspirational local community grand opening of an Immigrant Women’s Health Resource Clinic recently on December 2, 2010 in Surrey, British Columbia.  It is a fabulous initiative that recognizes the critical needs and gaps in health care services provided for immigrant women.  And it is the hope of all partners in this project …

Sacred Balance & Happiness

Polly Sidher Culture, Family, Health, Immigration, Relationships, Self Development, Women’s Issues Leave a Comment

As the first day of 2011 approaches, this day commemorates the start of another year and a new beginning.  Along with celebrations, this day should also be a time to reflect, mourn the passing of 2010 and to move forward into 2011.  When you think back about this year in solitude and in a peaceful state of mind – what …