15| O akville B eaver | T hursday,A ugust 16,2018 insidehalton.com It's Not Win or Lose, It's How you Play the Game Around August every year we pull out the fall calendars and the cheque books and the sports bags and dance bags hoping some of that equipment will still fit. Time to register the kids for their fall activities. Managing the kids' activity schedules and the associated costs is enough of a challenge in an intact family. When parents separate, the kids' extracurricular activities can become a divisive issue. Here are a few things to consider when creating a parenting plan to avoid possible conflict over activities when registration time comes around every year: 1. Set a budget. Put it in writing. Stick to it. This is obviously helpful even where parents are not separated. When coaches and instructors tell us our children have "what it takes" it's hard not to give in to pressure to pay for the next level of training, etc. Consider all of the costs - not just the initial registration fees but tournaments (and associated costs such as travel, meals and hotels), equipment, costumes, private coaching, dance exams, makeup, photographs, videos - and how you will fund these throughout the year. 2. Set out your mutual goals. Separated parents won't agree on everything. When it comes to the kids you probably have some common goals surrounding their best interests including health and well-being and academic standards. If you put these in your parenting plan all future discussions about whether to increase or reduce the extra-curricular activities can refer back to these goals to help with the decision-making process. 3. Set limits. Whether it's the number of hours in a week, or days, or tournaments or the number of activities in which a child will participate set this out in a parenting plan to avoid future disagreements. 4. Set out responsibilities. Who will do the driving? Who will be responsible to care for siblings when one child is participating in an activity? Are parents required to volunteer? Will all parents have the opportunity to attend practices, games, recitals, etc. regardless of the schedule? 5. Include a detailed "Dispute Resolution" provision. Think about… What will you do if there is a disagreement in the future? How will you come to a child-focused resolution? Will you work with a mediator (and, if so, how will you choose the mediator and how will you share the cost?) If you really can't agree will you outsource the decision- making to a third party such as a parenting coordinator or an arbitrator? For help creating the best parenting plans for your family please do not hesitate to contact us at Berry Gage LLP Family Law, Mediation, Wills & Estates. www.bgfamilylaw.ca Advertorial BONELESS PORKBONELESS PORK HALF LOINHALF LOIN cryovac packagecryovac package 144 3.17/KG LB HIGH LINER WILD PACIFIC SALMON FILLETS frozen CANTALOUPECANTALOUPE product of Ontario,product of Ontario, Canada no. 1 gradeCanada no. 1 grade .97EA FIELD TOMATOES product of Ontario, Canada no. 1 grade Oleg's NoFrills 1395 Abbeywood Drive, Oakville FLYER PRICES EFFECTIVE IN ONTARIO STORES ONLY. THURSDAY, AUG. 16 TO WEDNESDAY, AUG. 22, 2018. ROOSTER™ SCENTED RICE 8 KG 1088 ARMSTRONGARMSTRONG CHEESE BARSCHEESE BARS 400-450 g or400-450 g or NO NAMENO NAME®® SHREDDED CHEESE 320 g, selected varieties FIELD TOMA product of Ontario, Canada no. 1 grade .67LB 1.48/KG 497 10.96/KG LB EA 635EA COCA-COLA,COCA-COLA, CANADA DRY or PEPSI SOFT DRINKS selected varieties, 24 x 355 mL 24 PK 377 VAC, WCB, WSIB, WorkSafeBC, ADP & ODSP accepted. Registered under the College of Speech and Hearing Health Professionals of BC. *Free hearing tests are only applicable for customers over 50 years of age. No purchase required. Some conditions may apply. †Based on national physician referrals over the tenure of the corporation's Canadian business operations compared to the disclosed referral count of leading competitors. ®CAA, CAA logo and CAA Rewards trademarks owned by, and use is authorized by, the Canadian Automobile Association. **Price reflective of one hearing aid at current entry level retail price at 0% financing for 24 months before discounts. Finding a hearing solution to fit your lifestyle is important. We hear you. • Connect Hearing has the latest, most discreet hearing aids on the market. • We're Canada's #1 physician referred† hearing healthcare provider. • We have affordable monthly payment plans starting at $56**/month.**/month.** • With over 130 locations across Canada, there's always a Connect Hearing clinic nearby. Book a FREE* hearing test today. 888.408.7377 connecthearing.ca I am deeply humbled and honoured to represent the people of Oakville in the legislative assembly of Ontario. To those who voted for me, I offer my sincere ap- preciation for the confi- dence you have in me. For those citizens who did not, know that I will work hard to earn your trust as your representative. I would also like to thank and acknowledge Kevin Flynn for his 15 years of service, and dedi- cation to the people of Oak- ville. The legislative assem- bly is currently sitting in a rare summer session. Our government has accom- plished a great deal since June's election. Our gov- ernment has scrapped the cap-and-trade carbon tax, passed legislation so York University students can re- turn to classrooms in the fall, cancelled unnecessary energy projects saving ratepayers $790 million, and introduced legislation that will save taxpayers' money, improve transpar- ency and increase account- ability at Hydro One. Our government has al- so committed to adding 15,000 long-term care beds over the next five years, and made a historic $1.9- billion investment in men- tal health. This will ensure that the people of Ontario are able to receive the care they need, when they need it. Premier Doug Ford has also announced a plan to restore trust and account- ability to Ontario's public finances by launching an Independent Financial Commission of Inquiry and an external line-by- line audit of government spending. I am proud to be part of a government that is "for the people." Recently, Oakville was named Canada's Best Place to Live, by MoneySense Magazine. It was named the best place to live for new Canadians, the third best place to retire, and the fifth best place to raise a family. I am proud to live in Oakville, and am commit- ted to working hard for the people of Oakville to en- sure our town remains the best place to live, work, and raise a family in Canada. For assistance with pro- vincial matters, please con- tact my office at ste- phen.crawford- co@pc.ola.org. Stephen Crawford is the MPP for Oakville. NEW ONTARIO GOVERNMENT ACTING SWIFTLY OPINION LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY IS SITTING IN RARE SUMMER SESSION, WRITES CRAWFORD STEPHEN CRAWFORD Column FOR MORE NEWS CHECK OUTFOR MORE NEWS CHECK OUT