Last week the Little Monkey and I were invited to learn about our local YMCA centre and all about the Y Not? program. The Y Not? program stems from the belief that every young person should have access to the programs and services that enable them to achieve physical, social, emotional and mental health, ensuring that the GTA is home to the healthiest children, teens and young adults. A worthy program in my eyes.
Until very recently I thought the programs at the Y were catered to low income families and not open to the general public. How wrong was I ! The YMCA in our downtown Toronto neighbourhood welcomes individuals, families and teens with open arms and have a superb facility with services for all ages. During our tour we got to see the day care facilities, a full gym, pool, plenty of classes that keep all ages fit and active, basketball courts and the spacious and clean facilities that foster community relationships. Yes there’s even a dedicated newcomers program to assist immigrants get settled and develop leadership skills. I was truly impressed by the facilities and based on the online research I’ve done, it seems that a membership here is under $120 a month for 2 adults and unlimited number of kids. WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY cheaper than most gym facilities in our area! Added bonus is that you can use the membership if you’re travelling around Canada and in most cases, the U.S as well. What a great perk!
While the Little Monkey is quite a few years from being a teen (let’s get through potty training before I have to slap on a chastity belt!) it was insightful learning about theprogram that is currently hosted at 8 GTA locations. Run by youth for youth, Teen Nights address critical issues such as childhood obesity, youth disengagement and isolation by providing young people with the chance to engage and participate in healthy activities that promote well-being and inclusiveness. With the goal of getting kids off the couch and having fun in a safe, welcoming environment, this program seems to be popular amongst the teens. Apparently word of mouth referrals by teens draws kids to these Teen Nights, which speaks volumes to the success of this initiative.
As I’ve been mentioning it has been tough attending social events with the Little Monkey lately due to the onset of the terrible twos. Well the day we visited the YMCA, we had three events we were dropping in on, so needless to say we were both knackered by the end of it all. Luckily the YMCA is kid friendly and I had the opportunity to drop her off in the child care centre but sadly she only survived 15 minutes before I found her crying (in her defence there were no other kids there at the time, so it may have been a bit scary to someone who doesn’t frequent a drop in centre). We did manage to relax and get a mini hula hoop dance session on once she got comfortable with the staff and welcoming committee at the Y.
I’m glad I got a chance to learn about the various programs in place at the YMCA and definitely encourage you to check out your local Y to see if perhaps it may be a good fit for your family!
