Toronto Teacher Mom: Challenge

Try Something New for 30 Days

Downward facing dog - Active for Life #AfL30Days challenge - #AfLFamily

For the past few weeks, families have been taking on the Active for Life 30-day family physical literacy challenge. This challenge is for anyone who wants to be more active with the family and who want to help their child develop physical literacy. For each of the 30 days, Active for Life will post a suggestion for an easy activity on Facebook that will help your child develop physical literacy but is also enjoyable for the grown-ups in the house as well.

As an Active for Life Role Model, I was invited to share some photos of our family's activities so, of course, I decided to share snapshots of an impromptu family yoga session. However, I wasn't prepared for how awesome my kids would be at getting their yoga on since we don't do family yoga nearly enough. Their downward-facing dog in honour of National Puppy Day was a good start. Then... but then...

Lifted lotus - Active for Life #AfL30Days challenge - #AfLFamily

I don't know how he does it but he manages to get into lifted lotus without even thinking. It's like kids are naturals when it comes to yoga. I keep remembering how easily both my kids were able to do the downward dog as toddlers, even touching the tops of their heads to the ground. Or when I used to check up on them while they were sleeping and find them lying on their back in warrior pose. It's like, somehow, their bodies know. But when they get older, they forget what they are capable of. This is why I love this 30-day challenge so much because it gives us a chance to exercise the muscle memory while having fun together, as a family. I shared some of our photos on Instagram and they just so happen to be some of the most popular photos I've ever shared. Here's my daughter, a dancer in training, sharing her y-stand:

Next up, a dancer's version of yoga: an impressive Y-stand! #AfL30Days #ystand #yoga #yogaforkids #familyyoga #yogafamily #activeforlife #physicalliteracy #namaste #instayoga #AfLfamily #twitter #everybodybends #everybodybendscanada #dancer #jazzdancer #stopdropandyoga

A post shared by Diana Mancuso (@torontomom) on Mar 23, 2017 at 6:14pm PDT

To see the rest of the photos, head on over to my Instragram feed @torontomom. For more information on how you can participate in the #AfL30Days challenge, visit activeforlife.com.

Saturday, March 25, 2017
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Kellogg's Breakfasts for Better Days Blogger Challenge - Day 5

Breakfasts for Better Days

Five days ago, I began what I had previously anticipated would be a very simple challenge - the Kellogg's Breakfasts for Better Days blogger challenge. It entailed going four days without breakfast, eating breakfast on the fifth day, and documenting the effects in a video journal. Those of you who have been following along may have noted how much more difficult I found this challenge to be. In short, the first four days found me transformed into my alter ego Ms. Grumpy. Watching my kids enjoy their breakfasts while I went without merely added salt to the wounds. But finally, Day 5 arrived. I could finally indulge in a delicious breakfast that included all five food groups: dairy, cereals, fruit, meat protein and coffee. Yes, coffee. There are no words to describe how much I enjoyed my first breakfast in five days...

One of the questions that kept running through my mind throughout the challenge was, "Why on earth would anyone choose to skip breakfast?" But I kept reminding myself that, where the 1 in 7 school children are concerned, missing breakfast is likely not a choice. It's their only option. This sad reality is the reason why I signed up for this challenge.

Kellogg's Breakfasts for Better Days #LostEducation infographic

The Kellogg's Breakfasts for Better Days campaign has been created to raise awareness of how hunger affects learning. The infographic above highlights some of the statistics from the second annual survey of Canadian teachers which clearly shows the tangible impact of hunger on school aged children. Fortunately, Kellogg Canada wants to change these statistics for the better. In addition to supporting breakfast clubs for over a decade, Kellogg Canada is committed to donating a portion of the proceeds of cereal box sales, to a maximum of $100,000, to its breakfast partners across the country. This is above and beyond the more than one million dollars they have already donated to breakfast clubs in Canada. So, the next time you enjoy a bowl of Kellogg's Corn Flakes, it means somewhere in Canada a student will have a better day, too.

Disclosure: I am participating in the Kellogg’s Breakfasts for Better Days campaign. Though I have been compensated as part of this campaign, all opinions remain my own.

Saturday, September 05, 2015
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Kellogg's Breakfasts for Better Days Blogger Challenge - Day 4

Breakfasts for Better Days

Friday, September 04, 2015
3 Comments

Kellogg's Breakfasts for Better Days Blogger Challenge - Day 3

Breakfasts for Better Days

Thursday, September 03, 2015
2 Comments

Kellogg's Breakfasts for Better Days Blogger Challenge - Day 2

Breakfasts for Better Days

Yesterday marked Day 1 in the Kellogg's Breakfasts for Better Days blogger challenge and let me tell you, it's so much harder than I ever thought it would be. Today was even more so. On occasion, I like to take the kids out for some yummy baked goods and freshly squeezed orange juice and today was one of those days. I usually grab a fresh cup of coffee and a yogurt parfait but this morning, I didn't. You see, this blogger challenge involves me refraining from eating breakfast for four days and creating a video journal of how it affects my day. Well, this morning I just about had it. And only after two days without breakfast. You can vote me off the island, banish me from the house or label me the weakest link. Whatever. I am struggling big time. And boy, am I ever grumpy.

My alter ego - Ms. Grumpy

It certainly makes me empathize a lot more with children who go to school on an empty stomach. How can they possibly focus on school work? Two consecutive days without breakfast has put me in an awfully miserable mood and trying to concentrate on writing a blog post while my stomach grumbles incessantly is next to impossible. I did manage to record my second video journal. Like to see it? Here it is:

To raise awareness of how hunger affects learning, Kellogg Canada has developed the Reverse Hunger online video which depicts the depth of struggle a child experiences when he or she is hungry. And, in addition to supporting breakfast clubs for over a decade, Kellogg Canada is committed to donating a portion of the proceeds of cereal box sales, to a maximum of $100,000, to its breakfast partners across the country. This is above and beyond the more than one million dollars they have already donated to breakfast clubs in Canada.

Come back tomorrow to find out whether or not I can make it through Day 3 with no breakfast.

Disclosure: I am participating in the Kellogg’s Breakfasts for Better Days campaign. Though I have been compensated as part of this campaign, all opinions remain my own.

Wednesday, September 02, 2015
7 Comments

Kellogg's Breakfasts for Better Days Blogger Challenge - Day 1

Breakfasts for Better Days

This week, I head back to work as we start off a new school year. But I'm changing things up a bit this time around. As part of the Kellogg's Breakfasts for Better Days campaign, I have agreed to take on a challenge that involves skipping breakfast for four consecutive days and chronicling the effects it has on my day. You see, as crazy as it may be for me to miss out on what is widely considered the most important meal of the day, this is sadly a reality for one in seven children in Canada.

No one can deny the positive impact a good education can have. From learning basics skills to harnessing creative thinking, the classroom is where children can begin to achieve their potential. Unless they are the one in seven who go to school on an empty stomach. The effects of hunger in the classroom can have a negative impact on their learning. According to the second annual Kellogg’s Breakfasts for Better Days Survey of Canadian teachers, "students who miss breakfast lose an average of 104 minutes of learning every single day¹." As a teacher, I struggle to wrap my head around that statistic. They miss out on the equivalent of more than three months of class time each year!

Results from the survey also concluded that:

92 per cent of teachers agree that hungry students participate less frequently
90 per cent say that those same students are unable to concentrate in the classroom
78 per cent of Canadian educators assert that these students are more lethargic than their peers
nearly half of all teachers (43 per cent) report witnessing students stealing food from their classmates due to hunger
74 per cent of teachers shared that students who are in need avoid admitting that they need help

In my twelve years of teaching, I have seen the effects of hunger on students but am happy to see more nutrition programs and breakfast clubs popping up in schools thanks to supporters such as Kellogg Canada. At Kellogg, they recognize the direct link between missing breakfast and a lost education, which is why I have chosen to accept their blogger challenge. You may be able to predict the effects of going without breakfast but I can tell you one thing: it's a lot harder than I thought it would be. Have a look at my first video journal:

On that note, I hope you will follow along and join in the conversation throughout this challenge. Follow the hashtag #LostEducation to learn more about this important initiative and check out my other posts here:

Blogger Challenge - Day 2
Blogger Challenge - Day 3
Blogger Challenge - Day 4

About the 2015 Kellogg's Breakfasts for Better Days Study

From June 12 to June 16, 2015 an online Study was conducted among 405 randomly selected Canadian elementary, middle and high school teachers who are Angus Reid Forum panelists. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

¹ This is the second Kellogg’s Breakfast for Better Days Survey. The 2014 survey similarly found that students who arrive at school hungry lose between one and two hours of learning per day.

Disclosure: I am participating in the Kellogg’s Breakfasts for Better Days campaign. Though I have been compensated as part of this campaign, all opinions remain my own.