a peek inside the fishbowl

I appreciate it when companies make my life easier in a way that make sense to me. That’s why I’m very pleased to welcome a new patron to the Fishbowl, it’s a website, nay, a mini-social media empire (!) called Help We’ve Got Kids. HWGK is a comprehensive directory focused solely on families, parents and caregivers. It was originally established on 1994 as a print resource and they’ve been growing ever since. HWGK has been online since 2000 in Calgary, Vancouver, Toronto, Kitchener and Hamilton, and now… drumroll please… they’re starting to build their listings in Ottawa too. Woot!

At the moment HWGK is still largely focused on their founding markets, but it’s growing. If you are a parent in the Toronto area there are thousands of listings to help you find everything you need… whether it’s a birthday party-related business, information about fun family outings, art classes, day camps, and much more. Here’s the best part: listings can be searched by age, area or keyword and they also include comments so you can see what other parents have said about these places too.

Think about what that means, especially as it pertains to things like birthday parties and camps. To have it all in one place is a huge time-saver.

As for Ottawa parents, well, we are going to have to wait a bit as our part of this parenting resource is just being developed as I type. In the meantime, local kid and parent-related businesses might be interested in adding themselves to the site here. (A basic listing is free.)

HWGK has recently started to add blogs and articles from their Help Posse to answer questions they get from parents on a daily basis. And an extra bonus, the site offers contests, deals and a weekly newsletter to keep moms and dads informed about what is going on in their area. I’ve signed up, and you should too! And don’t forget to check them out on Facebook and on Twitter too. Their information is great. For example, here’s a helpful video they produced (starring co-owner Tracie Wagman!) about loot bags (a perennial issue of mine).

I’m wondering… what kind of listings would be most valuable to you as a parent? Party places in Ottawa? Kiddy hair salons? Organizations that offer after-school care and camps? If you have suggestions (or favourites that deserve priority listing!) I’d love to hear them.

When it’s grey and wintery it’s best to carry thoughts of Spring around with you.

The other day I was walking to school when I saw a big burly guy in uniform. At first I thought it was a traffic cop catching all the people who consistently ignore the turn signs posted in front of the school. These turn/no-turn restrictions were put in place so children can arrive at school safely.

“I’m glad you’re here,” I said.

As he turned to face me and I realized that he was actually an Ottawa bylaw officer. He was tall and silver-haired. He had a kind face. He reminded me of a friend of ours, and perhaps that’s why I stopped to chat.

“You know the weirdest thing just happened,” he said. There was awe in his voice. “Someone just came up to me and apologized.”
“Apologized?”
“He said he was sorry for calling me a prick yesterday, that he realized I was only doing my job.” He thought for a moment. “I don’t think anyone has ever apologized to me before.”

I can’t remember what else we chatted about, but eventually I wished him a good day and kept walking. I got to thinking about what this guy has to deal with every day, and all the rage out there… the special hatred some people nurture just for bylaw officers. I mean really. It’s not like bylaw officers are deliberately hurting people. They are just doing their jobs. Parking signs are usually put in place for a reason, and in this case, it’s to make way for school buses and to ensure children’s safety.

I get really annoyed at all the illegal parkers and stoppers around our school and I think that every one of those parents deserves a ticket. It is, inherently, a selfish act. There is no possible way that the parents can miss the no-parking signs day after day. I could not deliberately park in a no-parking zone. I just can’t do it. Whenever I see someone park illegally I just want to say Honestly people, take the extra minute and park a little farther away. What’s the big deal? I cannot understand what’s going on in their heads. And what kind of example is it setting for their kids?

Today I took a slightly different route home with Piper. I saw one parent – obviously parked illegally – just leaving his car. I don’t know why I did it, but I called across the street to him.

I pointed at his car. “The bylaw guy is here,” I shouted. “You ARE going to get a ticket.” He looked annoyed.
“He’s just around the corner,” I said. I pointed again.

He kissed his kids in the middle of the road and slumped back to his car. I should have let the bylaw guy get him, but then again, maybe dad would have been safe. After all, bylaw guy was busy ticketing people just down the street.

Edited to add: would you like to find out what kind of tickets Ottawa Bylaw officers hand out? And how many? Click on over here to offer comments to help shape a story I’ve filed with Open Ottawa.