INBETWEEN June/July 2016 by INBETWEEN Magazine

FOR PARENTS CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF RAISING A TEEN & YOUNG ADULT

JUNE/JULY 2016

YOUR TEENS AND THE

SECRETS THEY KEEP

win

A FAMILY WEEKEND IN T.O.

MUST-HAVES FOR YOUR SUMMER ROAD TRIP BURGESS JENKINS

ON CHOOSING HIS DAUGHTER OVER Y&R

HOW TO RAISE A MONEYSMART TEEN

whitney thore

is SICK of your BS June/July 2016 INBETWEEN

inbetween JUNE/JULY 2016

10 MINUTES WITH BURGESS JENKINS

INSIGHT 6 10 MINUTES WITH...

Burgess Jenkins 10 RAISING DAD A hitchhiker’s

guide to risk-taking

13 MODERN FAMILY The Tuft-West

family talk about learning to let go and raising a teen with diabetes

INFORM

SUMMER BEAUTY ESSENTIALS

16 HEALTH & LIFE NEWS 18 ASK THE EXPERT Kimberly Moffit

on how to deal with your university kid being home for the summer

20 PRIVY VS. PRIVACY Here’s how to get your teen talking 24 BLENDED BLISS How to transition kids into a second marriage

10 ROAD TRIP MUST-HAVES

27 MONEY MATTERS 5 ways

to raise money-smart teens

INSPIRE 31 ON THE ROAD AGAIN 10 road trip must-haves for travelling with teens 35 WHITNEY THORE

My Big Fat Fabulous Life star on letting go of body shame

INDULGE 40 SUN KISSED Beat the heat

GETTING YOUR TEEN TO TALK COVER PHOTO COURTESY OF TLC/ DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

and look great with these beauty essentials

44 DOWNTOWN DELIGHT

Staying in Toronto this summer doesn’t have to break the bank 47 FINAL THRILL

Savour the summer June/July 2016 INBETWEEN

Raising Dad

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June/July 2016 INBETWEEN

Meet the Team JUNE/JULY 2016 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

RACHEL NAUD ART DIRECTOR

CAROLINE BISHOP MANAGING EDITOR

SHANDLEY MCMURRAY FASHION EDITOR

JORDANA HANDLER WEBSITE MANAGER

VICTOR CHARD EDITORIAL INTERN

Contributors RYAN FRANCOZ has photographed everything from models and food to products and exotic resorts. For this issue, he was excited to photograph our Modern Family (page 13) while trying to get a little insight about what’s to come when his kids reach the teen years.

STEFANIE PHILLIPS CONTRIBUTORS PETER CARTER, DUKE COLEMAN, RYAN FRANCOZ, GEORGE S. GLASS, CHANTEL GUERTIN, JORDANA HANDLER, SAMANTHA KEMP-JACKSON, SHANDLEY MCMURRAY, KIMBERLY MOFFIT, STEFANIE PHILLIPS, AGNES WYWROT, NATALIA ZURAWKSA

JORDANA HANDLER is a mother, editor, writer and fashion expert hailing from Toronto. On page 20, she tackles the topic of how to get your teen to open up to you.

Raising Dad Columnist PETER CARTER was born the youngest of 10 in Sudbury, Ont. and is the proud father of three kids. On page 10, he writes about how he accidently taught his kids to hitchhike and why it actually turned out to be a good thing!

No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. The publisher accepts no responsibility for advertisers’ claims, unsolicited manuscripts, transparencies or other materials. FOR ANY QUESTIONS, SUBMISSIONS OR COMMENTS, PLEASE CONTACT INFO@INBETWEEN.CA.

CARTER PHOTO BY RYAN FRANCOZ

June/July 2016 INBETWEEN

From Rachel

EDITOR’S LETTER

STOP THE BS FOR SOME OVERWEIGHT TEENS, summer can be dreadful. While their friends are frolicking in cut-off shorts and bikinis, the thought of showing some skin can be downright terrifying. And for those too fearful to shed the layers and enjoy the season, Whitney Thore has a powerful message for you: stop this BS. On page 35, the star from TLC’s My Big Fat Fabulous Life, chats about her goal to end body shaming and her advice to parents on how to teach their teens to love their bodies— no matter their shape or size. Speaking of dealing with BS (the other kind), relationship expert Kimberly Moffit gives some sound advice to parents whose teens are coming home after a year away at school and are bringing their “I can do what I want, when I want” attitude with them. How can you find a happy balance and enjoy your summer together? Read it on page 18. If your plans this summer include hitting the road for a family vacation, don’t miss Shandley McMurray’s top 10 must-haves for anyone travelling with teens on page 31. They will ensure both you and your teens have a peaceful and fun road trip. PHOTO BY AGNES WYWROT/VYV PHOTOGRAPHIC

If your travels bring you to Toronto this summer, we found the perfect place to stay— The Chelsea Hotel. Read why this downtown delight is family-friendly, affordable and fun on page 44. And the best part? You can win your own family stay in the big city this summer! Enter today at inbetween.ca/contests And lastly, to look good wherever you are this summer, Beauty Expert Chantel Guertin lists her top beauty essentials for the season on page 40 that will have you looking and feeling great. Whatever your plans are this summer, we hope you have a safe, healthy and happy season. Enjoy! ■

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS rachel@inbetween.ca June/July 2016 INBETWEEN

insight

ADVICE AND INSIGHT FROM EXPERIENCED PARENTS

10 MINUTES WITH

Burgess Jenkins He may have broken a few hearts by leaving Young and the Restless (Y&R), but Jenkins’ decision has meant the world to the girl he loves most—his nineyear-old daughter. by samantha kemp-jackson

PHOTO BY MICHAEL KIMEL

June/July 2016 INBETWEEN

10 Minutes With

The decision to leave Y&R wasn’t an easy one for Burgess Jenkins, also known as Billy Abbott (his character on the well-loved daytime drama). AFTER YEARS SPENT STRUGGLING to smooth out enough time in his schedule for his family, Jenkins realized it was becoming too difficult to be away from home. He opened up to INBETWEEN about his next steps, his love of being a dad and what it’s like to raise a child in a digital world. You commuted from the East Coast to the West Coast. How did that affect your family? My daughter and I are very close, one of the things that has been the greatest blessing about being an actor is that even though my schedule is unpredictable, when I’m home, I’m home. I get to take her to school in the morning and pick her up or go on a bike ride in the middle of the afternoon to the park or for some ice cream. That is something that I can’t put a price tag on. So

needless to say, accepting the Young and the Restless job meant multiple days every week when I was gone entirely. Because my wife is an actress, she understood and was able to handle it pretty well. My daughter, on the other hand, never got used to it. It wasn’t like filming a movie where I could say I’ll be back in three to five weeks. It just kept going and she would have a tough time almost every time I left. That was rough. June/July 2016 INBETWEEN

10 Minutes With

Y&R has a grueling taping schedule. Did that have anything to do with your decision to leave? I spent all of my career up to this point doing films and primetime television, so Y&R was a wake-up call. Having anywhere from 10 to 15 pages of your own dialogue every day and shooting anywhere from two to six episodes a week meant a substantial amount of time off the set was dedicated to preparation. I found myself watching videos that my wife would send while I was on the plane of my daughter’s plays or recitals and I realized this wasn’t a schedule I could keep up. What reactions did you receive to the news that you were leaving?

Y&R fans are probably the best fans on the planet. They are passionate and fiercely loyal. The reactions were great, as always. I had an outpouring of kind words and frankly a lot of, “NO! Don’t go!” Did you anticipate that finding a work-life balance was going to be difficult when you started working on Y&R? I did anticipate it being a shift from the usual and it was. But being that we shot yearround, I don’t think I could have predicted the scope of it. What are some of the biggest challenges for actors in terms of balancing family life? Any tips on how they can circumvent these June/July 2016 INBETWEEN

10 Minutes With

my daughter is growing up in a time when women are being treated more equally and given more opportunity. Even at age nine, I can already see her strengths and possibilities. That’s something my wife and I look forward to.

challenges while keeping their families together? I’m fortunate [my wife] Ashlee is an actress and understands the industry and all its, well, oddities. That certainly goes a long way. But I’d say the biggest challenges are the erratic schedules and long absences from home. I think the key for actors is the same as it is for pretty much everyone else; and that is to prioritize your family over your work. For instance, on a down weekend, instead of hanging out in the location you’re shooting, head on back home or fly your family in. The other advantage is that when you’re not working, there are usually some pretty good breaks to maximize your family time.

What’s next and how will you factor in your family? I just wrapped a film called The Reason, which is set to release sometime this year. Following that, there is a pilot that my partners and I are developing. Ideally, it will be set on the East Coast, which will allow for more flexibility. I know that no matter what projects I take on, making sure it doesn’t compromise our family life comes first.

Now that your daughter is official a tween, what insight can you share with other dads who are raising daughters? Being a dad to a daughter is the greatest occupation I could’ve asked for. I’ve given a lot of thought to raising her at this time in history versus when I was a kid. There’s a lot of society that you simply can’t avoid now that we could 30 years ago, like 500 channels on TV and anything you can dream of a click away on the Internet. Sometimes, I think I’m starting to sound like my Mom... but then she’s a pretty smart lady. To me, it’s that much more important now for parents to be as involved in their children’s lives as they can. On the flipside, I’m thrilled that

Any advice for parents who are struggling with work-life balance? I always tread lightly with this question because I know that people’s lives can be complicated. That being said, I think that kids are aware of our schedules (whether they are easy loads or really full ones) and they notice if we make time for them. I’ve asked my daughter on many occasions what some of her favourite memories are, and I guess it shouldn’t come as a surprise that most of her answers are the little things, like reading to her at night or going for a hike. It doesn’t have to be all your waking time, but making sure [your] kids know they come first means everything to them. ■ June/July 2016 INBETWEEN

Raising Dad

RAISING DAD

Want to know when you’ve earned big parenting points? Gage it by how much your teens mock you.

A HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO

RISK-TAKING Why I love it when my kids try new things—even if they’re too scary to know about it until they’re over and done with. by peter carter

June/July 2016 INBETWEEN

DIDN’T MEAN TO TEACH my 12-year-old son to hitchhike. It just happened. What’s worse, I’m afraid the accidental ride-thumbing lesson was well learned. Because about six years later, when he was 18 years old, Michel hitchhiked to Toronto from Quebec City. He didn’t ask first, but that’s not surprising. He and his sisters, Ria and Ev, have long operated on the “it’s easier to get forgiveness than permission” principle. He arrived home safely (which is all I really cared about) and managed to save me the hassle and gas money associated with having to pick him up. Still. Nobody wants their kids hitchhiking, right? Like I said, hitchhiking school was a mistake. Michel and I were heading home from the cottage and ran out of gas. My motorcycle was old and didn’t have a fuel gauge. I just overestimated how much fuel I had left. I should have known better. I’ve been driving bikes since forever. My kids will tell you they were raised around the things. In fact Ev, now 25, reminded me recently that I sometimes biked them to elementary school. One by one, the kids strapped on backpacks, tightened helmets, climbed aboard and were ferried the four blocks to school. I’d drop off the first; circle back to fetch her

Raising Dad

brother and then loop round for the third. The whole deal took 20 minutes tops, and I couldn’t think of a happier way to start my day. I had forgotten about that ritual. Which reminds me: You know all those incredible events and adventures you get up to with your kids? WRITE THEM DOWN for Pete’s sakes! When it’s happening, you think you’ll never forget such drama, but trust me, you will! Anyway, I digress. Michel and I had been on the road about 15 minutes and were just a few klicks south of Orillia, Ont. when the bike started to slow down. I pulled on to the shoulder, we dismounted and I did the only thing I could—stuck out my thumb. It was such an instinctive reaction for me that I never bothered to outline to Michel what was about to happen. Helmet in hand, I walked to the edge of the road with Michel following and I gave the hitchhiker’s salute. Less than 10 minutes later, a van (I know, I know) pulled over. The driver was about my age. Her young daughter was sitting happily in the back. During the short hop to the gas station, she told us about travelling through South America with friends and running out of gas. Turned out she, too, had to hitch a ride. It’s interesting to note that both she and I had hitchhiked without fear when we were younger, which is really strange, considering June/July 2016 INBETWEEN

Raising Dad

“Some adventures—hitchhiking springs to mind—I’d prefer they didn’t tell me about until after it’s over and done with.” it was probably far more dangerous back then. I’m not advocating rides with strangers, but the fact is: vehicles and drivers are far safer today. There are fewer drunk drivers and crime rates have plummeted. Not to mention the fact that everybody’s wearing cameras these days. I’m surprised there aren’t more hitchhikers! Moments after we were picked up, we arrived at a gas station, thanked our good samaritans, bought gas and thumbed a ride back to the bike. The guy who picked us up this time was a professional trucker heading home after a shift. I don’t remember Michel (who’s a strong, silent type) uttering a word during our rides. But just as we climbed aboard the bike, he said, “You know Dad, with this hitchhiking thing, you could go a long way for not very much money, couldn’t you?” Six years later, without asking, he proved it. I should add that both of Michel’s sisters, who’ve travelled extensively through other countries, have also been known to thumb rides. Again, they didn’t seek permission; they got forgiveness. They also know I’m kinda proud of them, though I’m not supposed to admit it. I love when my kids try new things. Some adventures—hitchhiking springs to mind—I’d prefer they didn’t tell me about until after

it’s over and done with. But when it happens, I’m thrilled that they had the courage to do something exciting and the wits to do it safely. Whether you’re talking about trying exotic new foods, boarding the scariest rides at the theme park or bungee jumping, we all want our kids to have adventures—even if some of them are too scary for us to watch. When mine tackle a new thrill, I have nobody to blame but me. I was the one who rode them to school those mornings so long ago. Maybe I should have learned my own lessons; specifically: Lesson Numero Uno: If you don’t want your kids to take risks, don’t take them yourself. The kids are always watching. Lesson Number Two: It’s too late to learn Lesson One. You’ve already taken the biggest risk of all: becoming a parent. ■ HAVE A COMMENT FOR PETER? Tweet him at @Petesbandg Peter has four brothers, four sisters, one wife, two daughters and a son, the last three of which all recently graduated from teenagehood with all their limbs and sanity intact. According to Carter: “If you can’t use your family as a petri dish for life, what else you gonna do with ’em?” June/July 2016 INBETWEEN

Modern Family

MODERN FAMILY

Letting go The Tuft-West family have banked many memories together travelling the world and indulging in their foodie sides. They often enjoy cooking and eating new foods together. This summer, they have a European trip planned and, in a few years, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll embark on their biggest milestone yet: sending their teenager off to college.

The Tuft-West Family Brent, 46; Kate, 44; Phylida, 14; Annabelle, 10 NATALIA ZURAWSKA/JUDY INC.

by stefanie phillips photography ryan francoz hair & makeup natalia zurawska

June/July 2016 INBETWEEN

Modern Family

this

TORONTO-BASED FAMILY doesn’t let a busy schedule get in the way of quality time. Jam-packed schedules make life a bit difficult to balance—mom, Kate, 44, is a librarian and English teacher, dad, Brent, 46, is a respiratory therapist and both Phylida, 14, and Annabelle, 10 are involved in music and sports. But no matter how hairy things get, they always find time to spend together—whether they’re eating and cooking or travelling the world. Around the corner is another adventure—in a few years, Phylida will be going away to college and Brent and Kate will be faced with another hard parenting task: letting go. And while many parents can relate, it’s more concerning for them as their teen has juvenile diabetes and will need to manage the disease on her own. Still they have plenty of confidence in their daughter. Here’s why.

love baking together. Kate: We like to travel a lot. Five years ago, I took a sabbatical and Brent took two months off of work and we travelled all around [as a family]. We ate ourselves around Europe. We went to Iceland, Italy and France.

How do you keep your family close? Brent: We always have dinner together. Kate: We’ll often all end up cooking together, because [Annabelle and Phylida] are foodies, they’ll offer to make a salad or make something. Brent: Annabelle loves to bake. So whenever I’m baking, she’ll help me. She always helps me make cookies or make bread. We

Why do you make travelling a priority? Brent: With the girls being four years apart, it’s surprising how close they are. When we’re home, they’re close, but when we go away they get closer because they only have each other. It helps them connect. Kate: I think [travelling as a family] really cements their relationship. It’s nice to explore something together.

Was it hard travelling with a then five and 10-year-old? Brent: It was fabulous, really. We had such a great time. It brought us together as a family but it also opened their eyes to so many things, and I feel especially with Phylida, that they grew so much. [Phylida] gained a lot of confidence when she came back. Kate: They say things like, “that trip was the best thing we’ve ever done and I wouldn’t change any part of it.” So we’re actually going to Amsterdam and Belgium in July. We’re going for three weeks, and they’ve been helping us plan.

June/July 2016 INBETWEEN

Modern Family

Brent: I just worry about her. With her diabetes and managing that. Right now she’s doing a great job and I think we’ve done a pretty good job with giving up control of that. I work in health care and I often see cases where parents have been very involved in their child’s care. When it comes time for the children to transition into an adult environment, the parents are still doing everything for them. The parents find it very difficult and the child finds it really difficult. I’m well aware that we need to cut back on what we’re doing, knowing that she needs to take that over so that she can do things for herself one day. Do you notice any changes in their relationship since Phylida has become a teenager? Kate: Yeah, Phylida wants to hang out with her friends more. She has more independence…Phylida has juvenile diabetes, which she’s had since she was six. So she’s always been really reasonable and practical. I kind of still see her being like that. Are you worried about Phylida going away for university? Together: Yeah. Kate: Brent is always really worried about her, but I have some confidence in her as well. I think she has a really good head on her shoulders and she has goals and she just works through things.

What advice can you offer to parents whose teenager is diagnosed with diabetes? Brent: I would say [they] need to start giving up control of [their diabetes] and start delegating the care to [their] child early on. Don’t wait too long. If you wait until they are teenagers to start giving up that control, it’s going to be a lot harder on them and on you. There needs to be a give and take. They need to slowly show you that they’re able to do it, and then you back off. You keep backing off until they take over little by little. ■ HAVE YOUR OWN MODERN FAMILY STORY TO SHARE? Email us at rachel@inbetween.ca June/July 2016 INBETWEEN

inFORM

Raising Dad

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW FOR YOUR TODAY AND THEIR TOMORROW NEWS BRIEFS

CALL FOR

STI TESTING YOUNG ADULTS AREN’T GETTING TESTED FOR SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS (STIs) as often as they should, claims a study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health. Researchers found that less than 17 per cent of sexually active girls aged 15-25 and six per cent of their male counterparts are being tested. According to the study, almost 42 per cent of those avoiding testing are doing so because they don’t feel like they’re at risk for an STI. Many of the others are worried about the confidentiality of the tests, so they evade them.

June/July 2016 INBETWEEN

Raising News Briefs Dad

DRINK YOUR WAY TO HEALTH CACTUS WATER is the newest drink of choice for health gurus. Derived from the prickly pear cactus, it has been dubbed the new coconut water. What makes it so great? It’s a good source of indicaxanthin—a powerful antioxidant that can prevent inflammation. It also boasts a healthy dose of vitamin C, which is great for boosting the immune system and giving skin a healthy glow.

GIRLS, not boys, drink first

A study from Michigan State University found that girls between 14 and 15 years old are 25 per cent more likely to have their first drink before their male counterparts. The research also suggests that while girls may start drinking first, they are more likely to stop before they’re 21. Boys who start drinking early, however, will often continue the habit into adulthood.

APP ALLOWS PARENTS TO MONITOR TINDER USE TeenSafe, the phone-monitoring app best known for helping parents track their kids’ web searches, photos, texts and email conversations, now offers a glimpse into their child’s Tinder account. Although Tinder allows teens between 13 and 17 to create an account to meet only their peers, it’s still easy for kids to get around the system to connect with older people by lying about their ages. TeenSafe allows parents to see if their child has installed Tinder on their device, look at their child’s profile and view the profiles of the people they’ve matched with. It also gives parents the ability to monitor activity on Kik and WhatsApp—even after messages have been deleted. ■ June/July 2016 INBETWEEN

Ask the Expert

by kimberly moffit Kimberly Moffit is one of Canada’s most experienced relationship experts and provides practical advice about parenting and psychological topics. She’s a regular speaker for Queen’s University’s MBA and Women in Leadership Programs, and a frequent lecturer at the University of Waterloo. Kimberly also makes regular TV appearances on shows including CTV’s Canada AM, CBC’s The National, City TV News and Global TV’s Morning Show.

My son is about to come home for the summer after his first year away at university. He’s been living on his own for the past year and I know once he’s back under our roof—and under our rules—there’s going to be conflict. I really want to have a nice summer with him. Is there anything I can do before he settles back home to avoid this? THINGS CAN GET TOUGH when a teen comes home after his first year of living away. He has adjusted to a new standard of living, making his own rules and establishing a new sense of independence. Your son has likely enjoyed his newfound adulthood because it means he has been able to make more educated decisions about his lifestyle than when he lived under your roof. June/July 2016 INBETWEEN

Ask the Expert

It’s important to go into the summer with a positive mentality that sets him up for success. Let him know in advance that while you still have house rules that everybody follows, that you are willing to adjust them to accommodate his new status. Setting the rules/expectations together will empower him and make him less likely to step outside the boundaries you’ve set. Let him know that even though he’s now an adult, he’s still expected to participate in contributing to the household the same way that any other family member does. While he still needs to participate in communal tasks as normal (ie: cleaning up his own dishes when he prepares a meal, helping out with the yardwork and generally being a positive and respectful member of the house), you are willing to adjust things that affect primarily him—those that he would have had the autonomy to decide on while he was away. These changes can include his curfew, his eating habits and his sleep schedule. Part of becoming an adult is learning how

“If he’s late one morning for his summer job because he stayed up too late playing video games, he will face the real-life result of that decision.” to live life through making your own decisions—and incur the consequences if you make bad decisions. If he’s late one morning for his summer job because he stayed up too late playing video games, he will face the real-life result of that decision. That’s on him—not you! Being reasonable and positive will set the tone for a happy summer where you will get to enjoy the company of your son without butting heads over details. Good luck! ■ HAVE A QUESTION FOR KIMBERLY? info@inbetween.ca June/July 2016 INBETWEEN

Get your Teen Talking

PRIVY VS. PRIVACY

Secrets, lies, disinterest. It’s not always easy to talk to your teen, but it’s essential to fostering a safe and healthy relationship. Here’s how to get your teen talking—even when he thinks he doesn’t want to. by jordana handler

June/July 2016 INBETWEEN

OROTHY WEST felt frustrated and rejected when her 16-year-old daughter, Taylor, chose to spend hours on the phone with her friends instead of hanging out with her family. “Taylor was being rude…and dismissive at mealtime and then would disappear as soon as dinner was over,” she complained. “[She] went from being my best friend to sharing nothing with me.” On the one hand, Toronto-based West wanted her daughter to grow and flourish, but on the other, she worried about the secrets she was keeping. Adolescence is a key stage in asserting our independence and establishing our identities—two essential ingredients of a successful adult, says Beverley Cathcart-Ross, a leading national parenting expert and founding director of Parenting Network in Toronto. Parenting a child through this stage, however, can be difficult to manage; especially when your once open teen starts backing into his room to share secrets with his friends. “Teens need privacy, which means they’ll inevitably have a few secrets from their parents,” says

Get your Teen Talking

Cathcart-Ross. “So it’s up to you to figure out how to bridge the gap while still maintaining a healthy relationship.” The first step to a healthy connection: keeping an open line of communication. “Teens do need a certain amount of independence and secrecy in their lives as they grow,” says Cathcart-Ross, “but it is key to make sure that your teen knows that you can and will be there to talk to them if they need you. It is also crucial to encourage them to talk to you often to keep those lines open.” There are many ways to open and keep the lines of communication going so that your teen is getting the privacy they crave and support they need. Here’s how:

KEEP THEM TALKING Having a secretive teen is normal, reassures Cathcart-Ross. Kids are learning to become more self-sufficient, so it’s not uncommon for them to want to spend more time apart from their parents. The best thing you can do to keep them talking is reinforce how much you respect your child and have faith in her decisions. It’s important that she knows she can approach you (or her other parent) to talk about anything without fear of judgment. Not sure how to talk to your teen without looking like you’re prying into her personal June/July 2016 INBETWEEN

Get your Teen Talking

There’s a fine line between wanting privacy and keeping secrets. life? Try to centre a conversation around an event in the media or use an anecdote that isn’t about her, suggests Cathcart-Ross. When your teen doesn’t feel attacked, she’ll be less likely to act defensively and more likely to share what’s really going on.

BEWARE OF SECRECY There’s a fine line between wanting privacy and keeping secrets says Cathcart-Ross. And, with teens, that line is often hard to see. While it’s normal for teenagers to keep some confidences and desire discretion, it’s important to be on the lookout for signs that something is troubling, she says. Things to watch for include; a drastic change in behaviour (i.e. if your teen becomes very withdrawn and sullen or if he seems angry and violent). A behavioural shift, she says, is usually an indication that something is wrong and needs to be investigated. Your child could be suffering from substance abuse, bullying or a mental health issue, for instance. If your teen is acting strangely or being reclusive, it’s time to find out what’s really going on. HOW TO GET THEM TO OPEN UP

Remain calm. A productive conversation can’t take place when either side is agitated.

Save big talks for a time when everyone is calm and ready to be honest. Don’t push your child to talk if he’s not ready. Allow him time and space to prepare for a sit-down.

Be empathetic. Belittling or patronizing your teen will make her feel unsafe and unwilling to be truthful. Instead, take this opportunity to show her how much you respect her and tell her how badly you want to understand her point of view. Listen. This may seem like a no-brainer, but we often get so caught up in what we want to say that we forget to listen to our kids. Give your teen the forum to speak and listen to what he is saying. Take time. Carve out a spot in your diary for quality time with your kid. Turn off your phone (and hers) so you can focus on each other. This will help prove your devotion to your kid and will allow her to feel important. Keep up. Engage yourself in your teen’s life. Try and remember his friends’ names and pay attention to the stories he tells. Often a teen will try to tell their parents something by relaying a story about “a friend.” Ask questions and take interest in his life. June/July 2016 INBETWEEN

Get your Teen Talking

YOU CAUGHT YOUR TEEN IN A LIE. NOW WHAT? DON’T GET MAD. Instead, remind your teen that you respect her and have faith in her despite your disappointment in her actions, says leading national parenting expert and Founding Director of Parenting Network, Beverley Cathcart-Ross. Your teen needs to know that you love, respect and believe in her regardless of what happens. Next, you need to find out why she lied in the first place. Have a discussion to figure out what (if anything) is bothering her and what you can do to help her through it. Finally, it’s time to focus on moving forward and collaborating on a solution for next time. Don’t focus on punishment. Instead, work with your teen to establish a game plan for the future so that lies don’t repeat themselves.

IN THE END, West decided to let Taylor be and not pry into her private personal life. She felt that Taylor deserved her trust and reminded her often that the lines of communication were open and available. She wanted to ensure that Taylor knew she had a safe space to come to if she needed it. Whatever strategy you employ, know that this time is normal. As a parent, you are just

trying to make sure your teen is ready to face the world by the time he leaves home and that he has all the skills he needs. Allowing your teen to have secrets and learn about trust and honesty is all part of his independence and growth. ■ HAVE YOU CAUGHT YOUR TEEN IN A LIE? Facebook.com/inbetweenmagazine/ June/July 2016 INBETWEEN

Blending Families

BLENDED

bliss

Psychiatrist George S. Glass knows how hard it is to combine families after a second marriage. When the kids involved are teenagers, things can become even more challenging. Here are his 4 tips for making this transition a smooth one. by george s. glass, md June/July 2016 INBETWEEN

Blending Families

Raising teenagers can feel akin to riding a roller coaster. AT ONE POINT you’re climbing slowly, safely with wonderful experiences and then—BAM—you’re swooping down at interminable speeds with each crisis. Those fluctuations of feelings and events often seem to occur within moments of each other, even in nuclear families where both parents are actively involved. As a psychiatrist and father of a blended family myself, I know just how difficult—and rewarding—parenting a modern day family can be. My book, Successfully Blending Families (Skyhorse Publishing, 2014), combines my family’s experiences (the good and the bad) with lessons I’ve learned over 40 years of work. My goal: to help others learn from the mistakes my wife and I have made, and to prove that parenting a combined family can work well, as long as you put in the leg work. Here’s how.

BE INCLUSIVE. You want all of the children (yours, theirs, and those you’ve had with your new spouse) to have a good, loving

relationship with each other. To do that, you need to make an effort to involve them all in everything you do. That means celebrate activities (like games, graduations, birthdays and even sad events) with everyone in the same way. If one (or several) of the kids is negative about an event, include them anyway. Being inclusive also means inviting your exes (and their families) to join events when possible. While you may not want to spend time with an ex (yours or your spouse’s), your kids love these people and it’s important to maintain that family bond. TREAT EVERYONE THE SAME. Whether you’re buying presents for a birthday, planning a party or booking a vacation, make sure each child is treated equally. Spend the same amount of money on each child, even if you don’t see them as often. Kids are very sensitive to who is the “favourite” and will notice if someone receives a more expensive (or meaningful) gift. Not treating them equally can create an ongoing sibling rivalry, which could continue for years. DISCIPLINE YOUR OWN CHILD. When you criticize or punish your own child, they will hear it and at least pay attention, even if they don’t always respond in a way you would like. If a step-parent is negative, however, the child may likely shut down or say something like, “You can’t tell me what to do. You’re not my Dad (or Mom).” When you don’t like your June/July 2016 INBETWEEN

Blending Families

stepchild’s behaviour, tell your new spouse and have them speak to their child. This may take longer, but is much more effective in the long run. Plus, it keeps you in the role of friend and mentor rather than warden or enforcer. However, in a crisis situation, such as if you were to walk in on your step-child doing drugs or hitting a sibling, your course of action would be to intervene immediately. “But only to stop the behaviour,” says Glass. “Then you really need to sit down with your spouse and work out a plan of action about what to do.”

may have to adapt or come up with an alternate plan (such as closing the door to a stepchild’s room because it is messier than their own child’s). Alternately, the more lenient parent will have to agree to support the other parent’s stricter rules. As the kids become teenagers, involve them in these discussions to hear how they view the situation. Take their opinions into consideration before deciding how to deal with things in the future. A reasonable approach is to involve all of the children in this discussion, because sometimes your own biological children will point out areas in which you are being unfair or unreasonable.

“Take their opinions into consideration before deciding how to deal with things in the future.”

LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES. Everyone parents differently. Some are strict, while others are more lenient, for example. Now that you’re adding another person (this time a step-parent with his or her own parenting style) into the mix, things may become more complicated. Disagreements over discipline methods can lead to conflict between the adults, which teens can see as an opening to wedge themselves in the middle of. Once the conflict has passed and tempers have cooled, discuss what happened and try to come up with a plan to deal with things differently next time—because there will be a next time. The more rigid parent

THESE GUIDELINES are a mere beginning on how to approach some of the issues of blending families with teenagers. New problems are par for the course. You can never plan for all of them, but if you approach them with these tips, you will have a leg up on what to do when they inevitably crop up again. ■ George S. Glass is a medical doctor, Yale-trained, Board Certified Psychiatrist and Addiction Specialist who has been in practice for over 40 years. He is also the author of Blending Families Successfully: Helping Parents and Kids Navigate the Challenges So That Everyone Ends Up Happy (Skyhorse Publishing, 2014).

June/July 2016 INBETWEEN

Money Matters

5WAYS

TO RAISE MONEY-SMART TEENS

Not interested in supporting your kid into their 30s? Teach them to be smart with their money now and it may be them supporting you in the future. by duke coleman June/July 2016 INBETWEEN

Raising Money Matters Dad

IFE IS EXPENSIVE. The food. The clothes. The entertainment. The bills never seem to pile up faster than we can get to the ATM. Soon our teens are going to have to shoulder these expenses on their own. Will yours be ready to balance his books when the time comes? If heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more willing to dole out for a new car than pay off his student loan, it may be time to take action for the sake of his fiscal future. These tips can turn even the most eager spender into a money-smart investor.

TEACH THE BASICS Teenagers live in an unbalanced economy, which means they need to save and invest in order to live financially healthy lives. Based on the Economic Law of Money Saving, if a person does not do either of these things, she is more likely to end up poor. Not surprisingly, making smart financial decisions early in life is highly likely to lead to financial stability. When she is ready, teach your kid about investment and tax-avoidance strategies (include topics

such as RSPs, 401Ks, IRAs, Roth IRAs, Life Insurance, Real Estate, stock markets, ETFs and bonds). You should also expose her to the world of licensed investment advisers (such as wealth managers and financial advisers) who are trained to help others make smart decisions with their money.

UNDERSTAND THE FLOW OF MONEY The government has to continuously print money due to the unbalanced economy. This means, as long as your teen is able to June/July 2016 INBETWEEN

Raising Money Matters Dad

“There’s no shortage of people, businesses, education and government departments willing to help kids get the money they need.” get and keep a job, she will have money available to save in the future. This means she can enter into future investments such as buying a home, or stocks and bonds. She can also count on this money-printing to happen for sure, so can be confident in making investments that will grow in money value because no one is going to stop the cause of needing to print more money (i.e., stop the Unbalance Money Economy).

BE RESOURCEFUL There’s no shortage of people, businesses, education and government departments willing to help kids get the money they need—be it for university, a start-up company or their first apartment. Make sure your child is aware of the processes and requirements of these resources so he isn’t shocked if and when he needs to pay it back in the future. Expose him to each option and give him time to think about how they fit into his dreams. For example, large businesses may be willing to pay for his college education if he works for them and goes to college for degrees they support (e.g., engineering). My

company paid for most of my undergraduate and all of my master’s degree in mechanical engineering. On the government side, he can also apply for many different grant funding sources that never need to be paid back if he does well in school. The more you help your child find what method suits him, the better his chances to achieve his goals.

DRAW UP A PLAN Sit down with your teen and have her write up a simple short-term (one to five year) and long-term (five to 10 year) financial plan. Make sure she’s prepared to alter her plans as surprises crop up and few welllaid ideas work out exactly as we expect. Life is filled with changes and we all need to be prepared to adjust and accept the journey. Think of these modifications as new and different chapters in the book of life. Help your teen to design a plan of what she wants to do, encourage her to try her plan and to enjoy and learn from her accomplishments (or failures). No matter the outcome, your teen will learn from each experience and become smarter with each lesson. June/July 2016 INBETWEEN

Raising Money Matters Dad

“The idea is to help your teen to think naturally in terms of money flowing in and out of his life.” HELP YOUR KID TO PREDICT HIS FINANCIAL FUTURE Provide your teen with forecasting tools (anything from a pencil and paper to an Excel spreadsheet). Start with very simple plans, such as balancing a chequebook, adding in the money coming in each week, subtracting the money going out and then calculating how much he’s saved. Make the plans relevant to his life. For instance, begin with his weekly allowance or income if he has a job. Then, try to explain your own financial plan in a simple way. Show him approximately how much money you take in each month and how much you need to send out. Over time, show him how his outgoing list, which is short when he is young (his expenses are likely limited to things like food, games and clothes) grows as he takes on more responsibilities (i.e. water, cable and electricity bills) and owns his own house (now he has to factor in mortgage payments and insurance on top of his monthly bills). Let him create more complex plans as he understands more complicated mathematics such as compound interest and inflation. The idea is to help your teen to think naturally in terms of money flowing in and out of his life. Raising a money-smart teen is fairly simple,

but it takes love, patience, kindness, education and skill. Show your teen she is loved through actions and words. Listen to her desires and help her reach for her dreams. Give her time to process your suggestions until they line up with her own passion. Once she’s decided on a plan, encourage her to always make progress towards her goal—no matter how small it may seem at the time. It all adds up. ■ Duke Coleman is a senior level mechanical engineer in the aerospace industry and the author of Money Smart Children Learn the “Economic Law of Money Saving.”

June/July 2016 INBETWEEN

inSPIRE ON THE

Raising Dad

LIVING YOUR BEST LIFE

ROAD AGAIN

Hitting the highway this summer? Here are 10 must-haves for anyone travelling with teens. by shandley mcmurray

June/July 2016 INBETWEEN

Road Trip

Being stuck in a car with teenagers doesn’t have to be as bad as it sounds. As long as you’re prepared with snacks, music and an easy-going personality, you’ll all have a blast, right? Right! To ensure everyone—including you— has an enjoyable time, we’ve created a list of this season’s road trip must-haves to help make even the longest of car journeys more comfortable.

HOUSE OF MARLEY BLUETOOTH® HEADPHONES Kids will be jammin’ in no time with these cordless headphones. Made from certified natural wood, recyclable metals and REGRIND™ recycled synthetic material, you can feel good about your ecological choice while watching the kids groove to their favourite tunes. Sync them to a Bluetooth device or attach the cord to connect to something without wireless capabilities. $69.99 from thehouseofmarley.com.

COLORIT ADULT COLOURING BOOKS Need a quick boredomkiller? Break out the markers and colour yourself calm with these dynamic books. Printed on single-sided, high-quality acid-free paper, these adult designs are easy to rip out and share. $US16 from colorit.com.

ESCAPE CANVAS UTILITY BAG Travel in style with this cool, canvas bag from Forestbound. The split leather handles make it easy to carry and the metal feet keep it off the ground. If you don’t think the ESCAPE message sums up your vacation goal, have it monogrammed with your own initials or personal message (for an extra $20). $US100 from forestbound.com.

June/July 2016 INBETWEEN

Road Trip

MONKEY MAT Whether you’re heading to the beach, forest or a grassy field, this funky mat is a perfect accompaniment. It’s water repellent and has weighted corners to help keep it steady (or you can buy stakes for really windy days, $US6). Plus, it folds into a tiny pocket, leaving extra room to fit in your teen’s favourite pillow. $US20 from monkeymat.com.

360 DEGREE PANORAMIC VIDEO CAMERA Show off trip videos in a way that’s sure to make the neighbours jealous. This camera can capture images and videos up to five minutes long and stitch them together for a 360-degree view of your surroundings. Once you connect it to a desktop software or mobile app, you’ll be able to pan left or right, up or down and zoom in and out as if you’re still there. $299.95 from hammacher.com.

KINDLE OASIS Read on the go without carting a heavy bag filled with books. This latest addition to the Kindle family is small, light and quick— essential attributes for easy packing. It also boasts a high-resolution, 300 ppi Paperwhite display, which means the text is crisp and easy to read. Its dual battery system means it starts charging as soon as you connect the cover. Added bonus: when kids read, they’re quiet! $399.99 from amazon.ca.

June/July 2016 INBETWEEN

Road Trip

ZUS CAR CHARGER Boost two smartphones twice as fast with this handy USB charger. That means no fights over who gets the charger. Added bonus: it can help find the car when you forget where you parked it. $US30 at nonda.co/ products/nonda-zussmart-car-charger]

CARBUDDY Is your son complaining about having to hold his tablet to watch a movie? Protect his delicate wrist muscles by clipping his device into this easy-to-use headrest tablet mount. After all, you wouldn’t want him to work too hard, would you? The soft, adjustable leather arms help keep the case on and it can be used in portrait or landscape mode. $US20 from lilgadgets.com.

WAZE Avoid speed traps, shave time off your journey, locate cheaper gas and find new routes all in one place. This clever app is the perfect road trip accessory and it’s operated by real drivers in real time, so you’re guaranteed to have up-to-the-minute information. Just turn it on, set your destination and go. Free from the App store, Windows Phone store and Google Play.

10.

LAMZAC HANGOUT Lounge in style with this vibrant inflatable chair. Super comfy and easy to pack (it folds into a small carrying bag), this trendy chair is the perfect lounging companion. Plus, it inflates without the need for a pump— just swing it through the air a few times and voila. $79, fatboy.com/ca ■

June/July 2016 INBETWEEN

Whitney Thore

COVER STORY

SHE’S GOT NO TIME FOR YOUR BS

My Big Fat Fabulous Life’s Whitney Thore has a message for today’s teens—love yourself, love your body and let go of the body shame. by rachel naud

IMAGES COURTESY OF TLC/DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

June/July 2016 INBETWEEN

Whitney Thore

HEN WHITNEY THORE posted a YouTube video of herself dancing to Jason Derulo’s “Talk Dirty,” she didn’t imagine the impact it would have on her life. The video titled, “A Fat Girl Dancing,” showed Thore and her BFF, Todd Beasley, getting down to the R&B hit as if it was Saturday night in da club. Only instead of what you would typically find in a dancer’s video—a thin girl wearing barely any clothes—Thore weighed a whopping 380 pounds. A hit with the masses, Thore’s video went viral and today, two years later, the 32-year-old from Greensboro, North Carolina, now has her own show on TLC called My Big Fat Fabulous Life. Despite her newfound success and fame, Thore is striving to attain an even bigger goal—to spread a message across the globe—No Body Shame. We chatted with Thore about her hit show, her No BS campaign and her constant battle with her weight.

DEALING WITH DISORDERS Thore began dancing at the mere age of four. While she most definitely had the skills to both whip and nae nae, what Thore didn’t possess was a stereotypical waif-thin dancer’s body. In her teens, she stood 5’3 tall

and weighed a healthy 145 pounds. She was beautiful, but felt anything but. “When I was growing up, I always felt fat,” she says. “I was always never more than 145 pounds or so, but according to my BMI, I was overweight. I was never stick thin, so I had trouble with eating disorders from middle school on.” Throughout her teens and early 20s, Thore went through periods of severe restrictive eating (where she allowed herself to eat only hundreds of calories a day) and bulimia. “One time I lost 30 pounds in a month,” she says. “The only reason that I stopped throwing up when I got to college was because I was on birth control and I didn’t want to throw it up. In 2011, I lost 100 pounds in eight months. I was restricting my food to 600 calories a day and gave myself one day a week where I could eat whatever I wanted. But I would throw it up because I didn’t want to gain any of the weight I had lost. It’s been a struggle that way for a long time.”

THE COLLEGE YEARS Many people gain the freshman 15 when they start college, but Thore gained 50 pounds before Christmas break and another 50 pounds by the end of her freshman year. June/July 2016 INBETWEEN

Whitney Thore

“I was so depressed and struggling with where I fit in with the way people saw me. I often say it was like putting on a fat suit and going out in public because it happened so quickly. Then, in the years that followed, I started to spiral. I lost all interest in taking care of myself. I quit dancing, I didn’t eat well at all, and I never wanted to leave my house. In 2005, I noticed my hair falling out a lot. I would have handfuls of hair in the shower and I started getting facial hair. It never occurred to me that there could be a medical reason behind this.”

THE DIAGNOSIS Despite avoiding doctors’ offices out of shame over her weight, Thore booked in to see an OBGYN. She’d suffered from irregular periods for years, plus she noticed other worrying symptoms like exceptional weight gain (she now weighed over 300 pounds), hair loss and facial hair growth. The doctor diagnosed her with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), an endocrine system disorder in which a woman’s hormones are out of balance. It can cause issues with periods, fertility and weight gain and lead to more serious health concerns such as diabetes and heart disease. “I had never heard of it at the time, which is frustrating because it’s one of the leading causes of infertility,” Thore says. “For a syndrome that’s incredibly common and affects so many women, there’s very little awareness.” Finally, she had an answer, and a reason

behind some of her weight gain. In 2014, armed with the knowledge about her disorder and a newfound acceptance of her body, she decided to show the world that she wasn’t ashamed of how she looked. She took to YouTube and danced like everyone was watching. And they were.

HER BIG FAT FABULOUS LIFE Now entering the third season of My Big Fat Fabulous Life, Thore’s life has changed immeasurably. “It’s pretty overwhelming the June/July 2016 INBETWEEN

Whitney Thore

left; Thore teaching her popular “Big Girl” dance class at the Greensboro Dance Theatre. right; Thore’s friend and roommate, Buddy, helped her get over her fear of cycling in Season 2 of My Big Fat Fabulous Life.

amount of support that I get online or out in public,” she says when asked about the impact she’s had on others. “My life is full of a lot of positivity and meaning.” From her No BS Campaign (No Body Shame) to the show and newly released book, I Do It with the Lights On, Thore’s goal is to convince everyone to love every inch of themselves.

HER ADVICE TO PARENTS “No Body Shame is so important to me because when I was growing up dealing with body image issues, eating disorders, and later, PCOS, I had no one to look up to or turn to for advice or support,” she says. “It’s my hope that No Body Shame can provide education, outreach and encouragement for those who need it.” When she was growing up, Thore says no one taught her to believe in herself or her

self-worth, which is something that parents need to instill in their children early on. “I hear a lot from parents of teenagers and a lot from those who send their kids down to the living room just to watch the show. I think it’s really important to start young because no matter what you were like, even if you were somewhat the definition of perfect, you’re still going to get made fun of, you’re still going to get bullied. Stuff like that happens at various degrees, so I think what we need to do is teach our young children how to be self-confident and how not to be ashamed of themselves.” Thore says one of the best lessons you can teach your kids: to be an active participant in their own life and to not hide away. The second most important lesson: self-confidence. “We can all do better at encouraging our children to get out there and do what they want, be visible in the way that they June/July 2016 INBETWEEN

Whitney Thore

want instead of being influenced by society about things we should and shouldn’t do.”

A HEAVY TOPIC Parents with overweight or obese teens know how hard it can be to get their kids to become more self-confident and break out of their comfort zones. While many of us suffer from our own body image issues, Thore says it’s integral we keep mum on the subject of weight loss around our kids. Instead, Thore says parents should model healthy behaviour around their children, which means don’t talk negatively about yourself in front of your kids or obsess over weight or weight loss. Lastly, she urges parents to remind their teens that their weight does not define their worth. “Encourage them to try to build a relationship with their bodies that is independent of what other people think of it. Tell them to find something that they really love to do and focus on that,” she says. As for overweight teens, Thore urges them not to stop exercising or moving their body because they think other people don’t want to see it. “Your body is here to serve you—always appreciate it for what it can do for you.” For Thore, that means keep dancing like everyone’s watching. You might be surprised by how happy it makes you. ■ My Big Fat Fabulous Life returns June 8 at 9/8c on TLC. For more information about No Body Shame, visit nobodyshame.com

WIN A NO BS SWAG BAG!

Help spread the message of No BS with this prize pack that includes: A Black No BS T-shirt (signed by Whitney), a full zip fleece hoodie, a journal complete with personal message from Whitney, a 24-ounce No BS Straw Tumbler, A No BS Window Clinger, a No BS Wristlet and a signed copy of Whitney’s new book, I Do It with the Lights On. (Value worth over $100!) Enter at INBETWEEN.CA/CONTESTS June/July 2016 INBETWEEN

inDULGE

FOSTERING YOUR HEALTH, BODY AND RELATIONSHIP

sun BEAT THE HEAT AND LOOK GREAT with these summer beauty essentials by chantel guertin

June/July 2016 INBETWEEN

Summer Beauty

AS THE SEASONS CHANGE

so should the items in your makeup bag. We all know SPF is a summer staple, but to really look and feel your best as the temperature rises, try adding these five “I-didn’t-think-of-this!” products to your beauty routine.

HIGHLIGHTER Are you strobing? Contouring? Simply looking for a glow? Opt for a highlighter to accentuate your summer glow—especially if you’re blocking the sun with an SPF60 (as you should be!). try Ritual’s Beauty by Ritual Sculpt & Glow Palette, $45, ritualtoronto.com. MATTIFYING PRIMER Your makeup shouldn’t melt faster than an ice cube in 30-degree weather. To help everything stay in place, choose a mattifying primer to give your makeup staying power. An added bonus: mattifying products can help reduce the visibility of your pores making skin look more flawless. try Hard Candy Sheer Envy Primer, $8, at Walmart. June/July 2016 INBETWEEN

Summer Beauty

WHITENING TOOTHPASTE What accentuates sun-kissed summer skin more than a bright, white smile? Instead of teeth-whitening strips, swap your regular toothpaste for one that whitens. my new favourite Colgate Optic White Platinum High Impact White toothpaste ($3). In just three days, you start to see whiter teeth, and if you use it twice a day for six weeks, it’ll make your teeth up to four shades whiter. Available at drugstores and mass-market retailers. GEL EYELINER Waterproof mascara is a big must for any summer beauty kit, but let’s not forget its partner-in-crime: waterproof gel eyeliner, a product that stands up against heat, humidity

and sweat. I’m loving The Body Shop Velvet Gel Pen Eyeliner, $15, thebodyshop.ca, which comes in black, brown and turquoise.

HAIR PROTECTANT UV rays can really damage your hair and fade your rich colour or highlights. Spritzing hair with a protective mist can help save your strands when the sun’s heat intensifies. try Live Clean Exotic Nectar Argan Oil Leave in Spray, $7, at drugstores and mass-market retailers. ■ June/July 2016 INBETWEEN

escape and give back to yourself this spring... AT C A N A D A’ S FA V O U R I T E S PA

Use promo code “InBetween” for a free wellness class! Book your all-inclusive packages today which includes gourmet meals, $120 spa allowance, complete use of the facilities & more!

www.steannes.com 1.888.346.6772 Just 90 minutes east of Toronto June/July 2016 INBETWEEN 43 Grafton, Ontario

Toronto Travel

DOWNTOWN DELIGHT Staying in the heart of Toronto this summer doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to break the bank. The Chelsea Hotel offers family-friendly fun at a reasonable rate. by rachel naud June/July 2016 INBETWEEN

ORONTO IS A GREAT FAMILY GETAWAY— especially for parents of teens who crave that cool factor in a vacation. After all, Canada’s biggest city is a mecca of culture, home to world-class theatres, concert halls, shopping, museums and more. Unfortunately, it’s also one of Canada’s most expensive cities to visit. And while most families would love to make their holiday home downtown, the high price tag that comes along with city-central digs can be a roadblock. Until now. The Chelsea Hotel is one of Toronto’s most family-friendly accommodations that are not only convenient but also reasonably priced—even throughout the busy summer season. Located smack dab in

Toronto Travel

downtown Toronto on Gerrard St. W, it is steps away from the Eaton Centre, a plethora of restaurants and historic Yonge Street, which boasts some of the best people-watching in the city.

THE ROOMS For the most affordable option, parents with only one or two kids can get away with staying in a Chelsea Room, which features two double or queen beds. The rooms, although recently updated and contemporary in style, can seem tight on space. However, the stepout private balcony that comes with the room is literally a breath of fresh air. If you just need a place to rest your weary feet after a day of exploring, it’s the best option. There are bigger rooms available for families who feel like splurging, including a family

June/July 2016 INBETWEEN

Toronto Travel

fun suite that includes a full kitchen, kids’ corner with DVD and XBOX and two bedrooms.

THE AMENITIES Want some quiet time? Send your kids off to explore the hotel. There are plenty of things to do at the Family Fun Zone—including a pool, hot tub and corkscrew waterslide. There’s also the Club 33 Teen Lounge, a hangout that has everything from old school arcade games and pool tables to foosball and Xboxes. SHOW AND SAVE To save you a few bucks, The Chelsea Hotel also has a Show Your Room Key and Save Money partnership with many businesses across the city. Your room key can get you as much as 20 per cent off at restaurants, museums, breweries, spas and more! So this summer, don’t write Toronto off as being too expensive for a family vacation. It’s possible to stay in the heart of city, making valuable memories that won’t break your bank. ■

VACATION GIVEAWAY!

We’re giving away a free stay at the Chelsea Hotel! One lucky family of four will get a one-night stay at the Chelsea Hotel in a Chelsea Room, plus underground parking, one dinner for four in the hotel’s Market Garden (excluding alcoholic beverages), and the following tickets; four passes to the Ontario Science Centre and four passes to the Omnimax Theatre (OSC); four passes to Ripley’s Aquarium and four passes to the Royal Ontario Museum’s Ultimate ROM Experience. The cash value of the prize is $1,000! Enter at INBETWEEN.CA/CONTESTS June/July 2016 INBETWEEN

Final Thrill

SAVOUR THE

summer

Make memories this season and soak up every moment!

June/July 2016 INBETWEEN

YOUR TODAY. THEIR TOMORROW.

FOR PARENT S CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF RAISING A TEEN &

Raising Dad

YOUNG ADUL T

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YOUR TEENS AND THE

SECRETS THEY KEEP

A FAMILY WEEKEND IN T.O.

MUST-HAV FOR YOU ES SUMMERR ROAD TRIP BURGES JENKINSS

ON CHOOSIN G HIS DAUGHT OVER Y&R ER

HOW TO RAISE A MONEYSMART TEEN

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ICK of your BS June/July 2016

INBETWEEN

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48 June/July 2016 INBETWEEN FOR PARENTS CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF RAISING A TEEN & YOUNG ADULT