Gratitude cannot be forced—it develops when kids experience positive and fulfilling developmental outcomes, yet immigration alone does not guarantee these results. Parents who want their kids to thrive need to understand and support the unique challenges their kids may face.

Many parents come to Canada hoping to give their kids a better life, but immigration also brings significant challenges for both kids and adults. Parents should not assume that immigration will automatically make their kids happier or that their kids will feel grateful simply because of the move.

not huddled together like frightened sheep and thinking about bombs. They may break our bodies (a microbe can do that) but they need not dominate our minds.
- English professor and author C.S. Lewis's essay "In an Atomic Age" in 1948

With disagreements, Canada tends to use a more peaceful, though on the surface, less efficient, approach. This reflects the underlying values being upheld. I think of this as a kind of wealth, though not necessarily material prosperity. But seeing things in this way can take time to adjust to.

These voices from the Bible expect tension and waiting. When things don't turn out as expected or as hoped for, it encourages listeners to hold on to what is good, to be wise in spite of challenges, and even to allow for grief and lament at times. This is a reminder to have realistic expectations.

I believe that Christian communities can be beneficial to mental health, but we need to be having critical conversations and reflections about how to do this well among Christians, rather than simply assuming that this is actually the case.

There are Christian mental health professionals who have pursued additional training to learn more effective practices that may be missed among Christians. Christians may face unique struggles, including being vulnerable to their own mental health misconceptions and misinformation.

Another workshop suggested that church attendance is associated with better mental health. But just because these can happen together, it doesn't mean one always causes the other. We ought to consider other significant factors, such as being at church in the first place and accessibility barriers.

What constitutes as appropriate media for children is a topic of ongoing debate, especially with newer mediums such as social media. However, Canadian parents can refer to MediaSmarts's guide for common age-based rating systems when choosing media content for children.

This shows that culturally sensitive mental health care in Toronto isn’t something we can take for granted. By sharing their work and showing gratitude, we can help keep these important services available for our communities.

People and institutions are not the same as God. Even believers in the Bible have faced infighting. Conflicts among believers cause real hurts, some label it as "religious trauma." Healing from these wounds might be helpful, and may happen inside or even outside of those churches.

In Canada, numerous prominent churches have apologized for their roles in the operation of residential schools which they recognized as harmful to the Indigenous. History shows more instances of injustices done by Christians. Christians have not been immune to being on the wrong side of history.

I sympathize with the fact that there is a lack of opportunities to learn best parenting practices. But beyond this threat of being arrested, it is the responsibility of caregivers to change their potentially harmful parenting.

In the Greater Toronto Area, one can inquire with Help Ahead for free.