Plan and practice a fire drill with your family 

You and your family may have as little as two minutes to escape if there is a fire in your home. Every family should plan and practice a home escape plan with an outside meeting place.

Please keep the following items in mind when reviewing your plan:

• Have working smoke alarms on every level of your home and outside all sleeping areas.
• Make a fire escape plan with two ways out of each room.
• Ensure doors are not blocked by clutter and all windows open.
• Have a responsible person assigned to help young children escape.
• Choose a meeting place outside the home. Everyone should go to this meeting place after escaping from a fire.
• From your outside meeting place, call 911 from a neighbour’s phone. 
• Teach children to stay at the outside meeting place if there is a fire or smoke. Do not go back in the house. Never hide, just get outside.
• Practice the fire drill twice a year with everyone in the home. Make it as realistic as possible, and sound the smoke alarm so everyone can identify the sound. 

Feeling well emotionally

Everyone’s experience over this past year has been different. Even though ‘we’re all in this together’, not all of us have felt the same challenges. It is important to reach out when feeling unwell emotionally. You might reach out to a trusted family member, friend, or spiritual advisor, or you might explore counselling in a virtual world. Two great resources to explore as a parent are ConnexOntario and Wellness Together Canada.

Gear up for school with an eye exam!

Vision problems are common in school-aged children and can impact learning, social development, physical, or everyday activities. To ensure optimal vision and development, children should have an eye exam before starting kindergarten and then yearly exams after that.

Worried about the cost of glasses? Some optometrists in our area participate in the Eye See Eye Learn Program, which provides free eyeglasses to children born in 2016 and enrolled in Junior Kindergarten for 2020-2021. Visit the Ontario Association of Optometrists website or call 1-855-424-3735 for more information and to learn about eye health and examinations.