Disney+ is always adding to their library of movies, TV shows and shorts to watch. Here are our top picks for what to watch as a family in April.

New content is coming to Disney+! The streaming service from Disney has announced which TV shows and movies will be added to its lineup next month, and we’ve chosen the five titles we’re most excited about.

But first, an important note: The age recommendations offered below are approximate. Every kid is different, and you’re the best judge of what’s appropriate and what your kid can handle.

Higglytown Heroes, Seasons 1-2

Best for: 3+
Sadly there aren’t any brand new titles for little ones, but this Playhouse Disney show from 2004 may be new to your kids, who are sure to love the world of Higglytown, a place where the people look like Russian nesting dolls. The show follows a group of kids as they meet and learn about the everyday heroes—such as fire fighters, mail carriers and pizza deliverers—who make the town function smoothly. Available April 2

Rio & Rio 2

Best for: 5+
These two movies are definitely not new to most kids, but if your family has yet to watch them, you should. Following the story of Blu, a domesticated parrot from Minnesota who goes on an adventure to Brazil, Rio and its sequel Rio 2 are a delight for viewers of all ages—including parents! Available April 16

Secrets of Sulphur Springs, Season 1

Best for: 7+
This new series aired on Disney Channel earlier this year, but now it’s finally available to view on Disney+. This spooky show follows 12-year-old Griffin and his family as they move into a dilapidated hotel in the town of Sulphur Springs that is supposedly haunted by a young girl who disappeared 30 years ago. When he and his new best friend Harper find a portal that takes them back in time, they decide to use it to find out what happened to her. Secrets of Sulphur Springs may be too scary for younger viewers, but families who love all things scary will surely enjoy it. Available April 16

The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers

Best for: 8+
Parents who loved The Mighty Ducks movies as kids are sure to get a hit of nostalgia from this new reboot that premiered at the end of March. In this show, the Mighty Ducks are no-longer underdogs, in fact they’re a top-notch, ultra-competitive powerhouse. But when 12-year-old Evan doesn’t make the cut, he and his mom decide to create their own team of misfits to challenge the Ducks and rediscover the joy of playing just for the love for the game. New episodes available every Friday in April

Big Shot

Best for: 10+
This dramedy isn’t suited for little ones, but if you have a house of tweens and teens, it looks to be a great show to watch as a family. In this show, John Stamos plays Marvyn Korn, a hotheaded basketball coach who gets fired from his job leading a men’s team in the NCAA, but is given a chance for redemption with a coaching position at an all-girls high school. Soon after taking the job, he learns that coaching teens requires a much different approach than what he’s used to, and together he and his players learn to trust themselves and learn to be better people both on and off the court. New episodes available every Friday starting April 16

My husband and I had no trouble coming up with hundreds of potential baby names. We struggled with what their last names should be.

On paper, it might look like I have a blended family. My eldest daughter has my last name, and her younger sister has my husband’s. But I’m not divorced, I haven’t remarried and they aren’t my stepchildren (though that would be lovely, too—I’d want these guys on my team, no matter what the circumstances). In my eyes, we look the same on paper as we do in real life—a family of four individuals—and that’s just how we wanted it.

When my husband and I got married, there was no question that we would keep our own names. We both had (somewhat) established careers and, more importantly, we both viewed marriage as a union of equals—we vowed to love each other and grow old together. Neither of us wanted the other to change identities.

But when it came to any potential children, we weren’t quite sure how to proceed. The thing is, our two family names are too phonetically similar to sound good together—it would make a mushy mess that would only become compounded in the next generation if our kids married people with hyphenated names. Plus, it didn’t feel right for my family history and heritage to be tucked away as a second middle name (and a mushy-sounding full name) or discarded entirely in favour of my husband’s history and heritage.

This was our first concrete decision as parents, and we took it seriously—like, really seriously. Though we never talked about it in manifesto-like terms, we wanted to find a way to reflect those values of independence and collaboration and honour both families.

Kind of skirting the issue, we talked endlessly of first names instead. My otherwise easygoing husband refuses to play any and every car game, but he will happily discuss the relative merits of names like Anwar, Saskia, Joop and Beatrix for hours—and we did. We had lists and lists of names for potential and/or imaginary children and pets of our own, as well as for those of friends, family members and random celebrities. We had a surfeit of possibilities but no definitive last name to ground them.

When my husband floated the idea that we pick names based on how well they worked with our surnames—one with his and one with mine—it just felt right. I remember asking “Is that totally weird?” but immediately loved what an elegant (and egalitarian) solution it was. Winnowing down all those possibilities to our favourites was suddenly incredibly easy.

With that simple (and totally weird) decision, we diverged from what most other Canadians choose. In the recent Canada Project survey, 55 percent of millennials and 50 percent of Gen-Xers believe a married couple should share the same name. No doubt, the majority also believes that the kids should follow suit.

When people find out this odd piece of trivia about me, they inevitably ask about all the problems that these different last names must cause at daycare, school and doctors’ offices. My response is bit of a letdown: In the decade that we’ve been a four-person, two-surname family, our nonconformist approach to naming hasn’t caused a single incident. We are who we are, and we have the paperwork to prove it, though it’s never really come to that (well, except at the border, but that’s what passports are for).

I often say that our last names have been a complete non-issue, but that’s not quite true. Our little experiment in nomenclature has made me think deeply about what it really means to be a family and what ideals I want to foster for myself and my brood. We talk a lot about appreciating differences and the importance of always considering other perspectives. Our different names are a potent symbol that we are a collection of individuals who are collectively trying our best to love and learn from each other.

It works for us. Of course, your tribe might look and sound quite different than ours, which is just as it should be.

This article was originally published online in June 2017.

Has the streaming sunshine illuminated your household’s cobwebs and dust? We asked parents how they get their kids involved in spring cleaning.

If you wish that spring cleaning and general tidiness was more of a family activity, try these reader-approved methods to get your kids to pick up after themselves.

“We designate boxes for hard toys, big soft toys and small soft toys. Then we stand as far away as possible and try to throw the toys into the correct boxes.”
— Amanda Titus, Calgary, AB.

“Music! Dusting is way more fun when you can wiggle.”
— Michelle Patry, Kingston, ON.

“To clean our toy room, we use play walkie-talkies and pretend we’re cleaning elves. While we tidy, we talk to each other like secret spies.”
— Ashley Peden Van Bakel, Bradford, ON.

“No kids allowed! Spring cleaning is just for me. It’s an opportunity to have some time to myself and get a whole lot of junk purged from our house.”
— Ashley Sparkman, Kingston, ON.

“My kids like to pretend that they’re pioneers, so it’s easy to assign them chores that encourage their imagination.”
— Jennifer Rosenitsch Tobin, Whitby, ON. 

“I sing a cleanup song, or I tell my two-year-old we’re having a tidy-up race and need to pick up all the toys.”
— Kimberly Hodgson, Laval, Que.

“My son loves the dusting mitt and helping me spray window cleaner. Cleaning time for us means new ‘toys’ for him.”
— Kelsey Tourigny, Meadow Lake, Sask.

“We pretend to be Cinderella, and the evil stepmother and sisters will be mad if we don’t get the work done.”
— Marcie Moody-Lebert, Binbrook, ON.

“I make it fun for my kids by sending them to Grandma’s.”
— Vanessa Antoniuk, Edmonton, AB.

“When cleaning up a bunch of toys, I secretly pick a ‘magic item.’ The kids then rush around trying to tidy as many things as possible in the hope of putting away the one I chose. At the end, whoever tidied up the magic item wins a prize.”
— Nicole Truman Hall, Oakville, ON.

“We have contests to see who can clean the fastest, or we count out loud to see how long it takes us to tidy a certain area.”
— Carla Vegnaduzzo-Dawson, Hamilton, ON.

A version of this article appeared in our May 2013 issue of Today’s Parent with the headline “Clean sweep,” p. 22.

Netflix Canada has announced which new TV shows and movies it will be adding to its lineup next month and, of course, that means more options for kids! There are a bunch of titles to look forward to in April, including more episodes of popular kids shows like PAW Patrol, PJ Masks, Go! Go! Cory Carson and Mighty Express. Plus there’s a new interactive special set in the world of The Last Kids on Earth! Check out the full lineup with specific release dates below.

But first, an important note: The age recommendations offered below are approximate. Every kid is different, and you’re the best judge of what’s appropriate and what your kid can handle.

Go! Go! Cory Carson, Season 4

Best for: 3+
Whether helping out his friends or making new ones with sister Chrissy, Cory is always on the move and ready for any adventure that comes his way! Available April 27

PJ Masks, Season 3

Best for: 4+
During the day, Amaya, Connor and Greg lead totally normal lives, but they transform into superheroes during the night and use their powers to fight villains and solve mysteries. Available April 27

Photo: Netflix

Arlo the Alligator Boy

Best for: 8+
To find the father he never knew, optimistic Arlo leaves his swampy Southern home for New York City, making friends and dodging trappers along the way. Available April 16

Photo: Netflix

Family Reunion, Part 3

Best for: 9+
The McKellans may be tight on funds, but the family’s never lacking in love as they power through heartache, loss and adversity of all kinds this season. Available April 5 

Photo: Netflix

Fast & Furious Spy Racers, Season 4: Mexico

Best for: 8+
When the Spy Racers are framed for a crime they didn’t commit, they flee to Mexico to clear their name and uncover a new evil scheme. Available April 16

Hop

Best for: 4+
Fred, who has never taken life seriously, unintentionally injures an Easter Bunny and is forced to take him in as a guest. Soon, hilarity ensues as they struggle to deal with the situation. Available April 7

Photo: Netflix

Izzy’s Koala World, Season 2

Best for: 4+
When a koala needs help, Izzy Bee and her family are there — and with Australia’s extreme fires taking a toll, their care is needed now more than ever! Available April 20

Photo: Netflix

Mighty Express, Season 3

Best for: 3+
The strong and fast Mighty Express trains are always ready to save the day with more heroic rescues and thrilling stunts throughout Tracksville! Available April 13

PAW Patrol, Season 7 Part 2

Best for: 3+
the heroic pack of pups—Chase, Marshall, Rubble, Skye, Rocky, Zuma, Everest and Tracker—go on super-charged adventures after receiving all-new abilities when a super power replicating baddie, The Copycat, arrives in Adventure Bay. Available April 1

Photo: Netflix

The Last Kids on Earth: Happy Apocalypse to You

Best for: 8+
Help Jack and his monster-battling friends make choices to stay alive—and have some fun—in this interactive “Last Kids on Earth” adventure! Available April 6

Photo: Netflix

The Mitchells vs. The Machines

Best for: 6+
From the humans who brought you the Academy Award-winning Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse and The LEGO Movie comes The Mitchells vs. The Machines, an animated action-comedy about an ordinary family who find themselves in the middle of their biggest family challenge yet…saving the world from the robot apocalypse. No big deal, right? It all starts when creative outsider Katie Mitchell is accepted into the film school of her dreams and is eager to leave home and find “her people,” when her nature-loving dad insists on having the whole family drive her to school and bond during one last totally-not-awkward-or-forced road trip. But just when the trip can’t get any worse, the family suddenly finds itself in the middle of the robot uprising! Everything from smart phones, to roombas, to evil Furbys are employed to capture every human on the planet. Now it’s up to the Mitchells, including upbeat mom Linda, quirky little brother Aaron, their squishy pug, Monchi, and two friendly, but simple-minded robots to save humanity. Available April 30

LAST CALL!

Netflix takes things off the platform every month, and sadly, this time a few popular kids’ movies are getting the chop. Two Shrek movies, Shrek the Third and Shrek Forever After are leaving the platform on April 11th, and the following day on the 12th, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald will also be gone. Luckily there’s still some time left to enjoy them as a family. Everyone to the couch!

We asked a doctor to highlight the best things that happened in kids’ health, despite the pandemic.

All those pandemic headlines dominating our doom-scrolling sessions may have obscured some of the most promising health news in 2020 and 2021. Michelle Ward, a paediatrician at Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, rounded up the top medical developments parents and kids should be celebrating.

Severe asthma episodes have decreased in kids

Some children are actually having a healthier year, as the spread of other non-COVID viruses is decreasing. One sign is the sharp drop in kids visiting hospitals for asthma attacks (also known as “exacerbations”).

Typically, every fall and winter, emergency departments and hospital wards tend to fill up with young asthma patients—asthma is the most common chronic condition in children. But not this year.

The Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Ottawa had 2,628 emergency department visits and 358 asthma-related hospital admissions in 2019, says paediatric respirologist Dhenuka Radhakrishnan. In 2020, emergency department visits and hospital admissions decreased by more than 57 percent and 65 percent respectively, with only 122 asthma admissions, including the months before the pandemic.

Many paediatric hospitals across the country are seeing the same trend. “The vast majority of asthma exacerbations are caused by respiratory viruses,” says Radhakrishnan. There may be many factors, but undoubtedly, the measures put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19, such as masking and social distancing, are also curbing asthma attacks, she says.

Radhakrishnan’s message to parents is to continue with their prescribed asthma medications, even if your child seems better. “We need to continue to prevent preventable exacerbations,” she says.

Most kids with a penicillin allergy do not actually need to avoid penicillin

According to new recommendations from the Canadian Paediatric Society, released in 2020, most
children tagged with a penicillin allergy do not, in fact, need to avoid penicillin, amoxicillin and other similar drugs. The recommendations cite research showing that more than 90 percent of children who report these allergies can safely use the medicines after being properly assessed.

This is good news for kids and parents, since penicillin-type medicines are the drugs of choice for many common childhood illnesses, such as ear infections and pneumonia. Resorting to other medicines has been shown to lead to longer hospital stays and poorer outcomes for more serious infections.

In the past, doctors would essentially label kids with a lifelong allergy if they developed hives or other new symptoms while taking a course of antibiotics. Some doctors also advised them to avoid another class of common antibiotics, cephalosporins, because of the possibility of cross-reactions.

Based on your child’s symptoms during their first allergic reaction, the new recommendations can now help your doctor determine whether your kid has a possible allergy, does not have an allergy at all or is low risk, and can use the antibiotic again.

Kids who develop only a rash or hives after taking a dose of antibiotics are now considered “low risk for allergy” if they develop no other serious symptoms. (More serious symptoms would be wheezing, lip swelling, vomiting or dizziness.) Get your kid assessed by their doctor or nurse practitioner—they may be able to safely use the same type of antibiotic again, or they can be given a test dose of antibiotic in a medical office. They may not even need to see an allergist.

If your child has immediate or serious symptoms, stop taking the medicine and seek medical care, then ask for a referral to an allergist for a definitive diagnosis. The allergist can also advise which antibiotics to avoid and which common classes of antibiotics are still an option.

Vaping ads have been banned

One in five Canadian students in grades seven to 12 reports vaping, and this number rises to nearly one in three for grades 10 to 12. More than half of students surveyed by Health Canada in 2018 and 2019 said obtaining e-cigarettes, with or without nicotine, was “fairly easy” or “very easy.” But in July 2020, Health Canada banned the advertising of vaping products anywhere that it could be seen or heard by youth. Vaping products can’t be promoted in any media, on buses or subways, in recreational facilities, or anywhere else where kids may be. Retail businesses that sell vaping products must store them out of sight (but they can advertise that they carry them). The regulations apply in all provinces and territories in Canada.

There’s a new longer-term contraceptive implant option with few side effects

A long-awaited contraceptive implant was finally approved by Health Canada in 2020, and it’s likely to replace other pregnancy-prevention methods for many teens: Nexplanon is the first progestin-only implant and it’s as effective as popular progestin-only IUDs, such as Mirena, but with only a minor procedure needed for insertion.

Nexplanon is a matchstick-sized flexible plastic rod placed under the skin of the upper arm. It releases progestin (the synthetic form of progesterone), but no estrogen. The implant can be left in place for up to three years and tends to have fewer side effects than estrogen-containing forms of contraception, such as most birth control pills. (Nexplanon’s most common side effect is a change in the menstrual cycle, often with a decrease in the length or flow of periods. Some women stop menstruating completely.)

You also don’t need to remember to take a daily pill, and you can depend on the device for longer-term contraception. Like Mirena, Nexplanon is 99 percent effective at preventing pregnancy. Upon removal, it’s possible to conceive as soon as seven to 14 days later.

“I will continue to hold you in my heart, not judge circumstances I know nothing about, decisions I never had to make, weight I never had to carry.”

The first time someone made a negative comment to me about my son’s birth mother, I wasn’t at all surprised. I was actually expecting it at some point—it’s easy to criticize what you don’t understand. What did shock me, though, was how angry it made me and how defensive I was of her.

I was sitting in my office at work, telling a few colleagues about my upcoming trip to China to finalize my son’s adoption and bring him home. One of them asked about his birth situation and birth mother. When I told them what little I knew, which is typical of Chinese adoptions, they both unleashed a barrage of negative comments and insults directed towards her. I was taken aback by their judgment but also by how upsetting it was to hear. Is this a thing? I thought. Since when did we start hating on birth mothers without knowing anything about their stories? And why is it so shocking that I don’t?

Going through the adoption process, I never felt any resentment towards my son’s birth mother. I understand that there are instances where it’s hard to avoid—when children are neglected or abused—but that doesn’t appear to be the case with my son, so I never harboured those sorts of feelings. However, I did not expect to be fiercely protective of her and feel such compassion and tenderness towards someone I’ll never know.

My son was born in China, which has a controversial history of government-based family planning policies. In 1979, the country attempted to alleviate some of its poverty and overpopulation by introducing a one-child policy, which also subjected women to mandatory contraception and, in some cases, forced sterilization if a family had a second child.

The policy is said to have never been enforced in a consistent manner. Wealthier families often evaded punishment for any unauthorized children, whereas poorer families were given fines that they simply could not pay.

Policy critics also believed that due to the overwhelming bias for sons in China, there was a stark increase in families abandoning girls or disabled children and putting them up for adoption, sometimes on the black market.

Effects of the policy have proven to be a stressor on the family unit and line. Since families are so small by design, the care and responsibility for elderly parents places a heavy burden on an only child which can, in turn, affect his or her family unit as well. And if a couple loses a child for whatever reason, they are potentially childless forever and without that safety net as they age.

Although the policy was relaxed in 2015, there is still a stigma brought against a family with more children than they can take care of. Even today, birth parents may only relinquish their parental rights by presenting credible evidence to governmental authorities that they are not financially capable of supporting the child. Therefore, the potential shame around an unwanted pregnancy or one that will financially burden parents leads me to believe that the exact circumstances of my son’s birth story are likely a complex mix of a number of these socioeconomic factors.

Despite all of this, I have never, and will never, shy away from the topic of adoption with him. I have openly talked about his adoption since he became my son in 2017, when he was two years old. In fact, I started before I adopted him—conversations in the bathroom mirror or in my head on the subway to work. Practice makes perfect, they say. And since we’ve been a duo, I’ve told him his “story” so many times he can now recite it. Of course, I will tread lightly in how and when I share a few of the more sensitive details that I know. But they are his, and he deserves them when the time is right.

Recently, we’ve begun to talk about how he was in the tummy of another woman—his “birth mother,” as we’ve labelled her—and how he came to be my son. He’s asked typical questions, like what her name is and where she lives, but he’s also asked a few that took me by surprise. He’s asked a few times if she’s nice and if I’ve talked to her.

The last one stayed with me because I certainly have not spoken to her, but it got me thinking about what I would say if given the chance.

The first thing I would tell her is that I’m sorry.
I’m sorry you were in the position to have to give up your child.
I’m sorry if you felt guilt over the events of that day.
I’m sorry if you’ve felt any regret since you made the decision up until this very minute.
I’m sorry if you agonized over what would become of him.

Next, I would say he’s okay.
He’s healthy and happy.
He’s inquisitive.
He asks a million questions a day about how things work, what things are used for and what certain words mean. And the best part is, he usually remembers what I tell him.
He’s slowly learning to read and write and is obsessed with math.
He loves superheroes and Lego and dismantles them just so he can build them back up several times a day.
He’s good at sports, especially basketball, and is learning the not-so-subtle art of trash talk that goes along with it.
He tells the shittiest jokes, but is somehow still the funniest person in the room wherever he goes.
He loves board games and cards, and he’s totally okay when he loses.
He eats more yogurt that I think is humanly possible but thankfully eats just about anything I give him.
He dances and sings his way through most conversations and begs me daily to have dance parties in our living room.
Above all, he is kind.
I catch him talking to our cat in a soft voice every morning, asking her how she slept and if she missed him.
He willingly gives up toys and clothes when we go through his things to make donations for less fortunate families.
He asks about his cousins and aunts and grandmother when too much time passes after seeing them.
He leaves me love notes around the house which are usually just pictures of us as stick people sitting under rainbows and suns, oftentimes holding hands, always smiling.
He comes in my bed in the mornings to cuddle, and he doles out hugs with the automaticity of breathing.
He is thriving.

And he’ll always know who you are.
We will celebrate you each year on his birthday.
We will speak of you each year on Mother’s Day and how we can honour you and your role in his life.
Because you are his mother too.

Whenever he hits a milestone or accomplishes the impossible, whenever the wonders of life light up his face, I think of what you’re missing out on. And in a strange way, I wish you didn’t have to.

Make no mistake, he is my son, and I wouldn’t trade that honour for anything. However, it’s not lost on me that out of your trauma and tragedy came my greatest gift and source of happiness.

So thank you.

I know we’ll likely never meet you or get more information about why you made the decisions you did, so I can only hope that the universe envelopes you in peace and leaves your heart whole.

And I will continue to hold you in mine, not judge circumstances I know nothing about, decisions I never had to make, weight I never had to carry.

For you are his birth mother, his other mother.
Always.

Our inboxes are flooded with the latest and greatest in new parenting products every day. From exciting new toys and clever innovations for baby to tools that help make raising kids just a little bit easier (and fun!), our editors have selected some of their favourite launches this month.

Editor’s Picks – March 2021

Editor’s Picks – March 2021

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Photo: Ecobee

Sweet Dreams Baby Kit

“One thing I constantly worried about as a new parent was whether my baby was too hot (or too cold!) in their room at night. This kit anticipates this common stress by pairing a smart camera with a smart thermostat (and extra sensor you can put right in the baby’s room) so you know exactly what’s going on in their environment. Bonus: the camera has all the main functions of a baby monitor including night vision, two-way talking and motion detect, and once your little one grows out of needing a monitor it can be used as a home security camera.”—Simone Olivero, senior editor

$390, ecobee.com