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Condo Safety Question

Hello,

I am a single mom to a 3-year-old boy, and I am considering buying a home. I’m confused about whether I should buy a condo, townhouse, or house.

I am more of a condo person because I’m not interested in snow removal, gardening, or maintaining a large property. I also don’t particularly like multi-storey homes, and realistically, I cannot afford a detached house.

However, safety is my top priority, especially because I have a young child. I’m looking for at least 2 bedrooms.

My biggest concern with condos is the balcony and large glass windows. I’m originally from India, where it is common to install window bars and balcony grills for child safety. I realize that may not be possible or permitted in Canadian condos.

Is there a way to make a condo balcony genuinely child-safe beyond simply installing a safety latch on the balcony door? I will definitely use a childproof lock, but I’m worried about situations where the door might accidentally be left unlocked—for example, by a visitor.

I recently read about a toddler falling from a condo window in Scarborough, and honestly, that has become my worst fear. As a mom of a 3-year-old, I find it difficult to feel completely comfortable with the idea of living in a high-rise condo when I know how quickly a curious toddler can get into things.

That’s why I’m particularly interested in hearing from other parents about realistic, reliable ways to childproof condo windows and balconies, beyond simply relying on adults to remember to keep the balcony door locked.

I am also considering lower-floor units, perhaps on the 1st or 2nd floor, as I feel they might give me some peace of mind compared with living on a higher floor. Any insights on these are also appreciated.

Thank you

Hello,

I am looking for some advice.

Me and my husband have decided to part ways. My main problem is my sons screentime. We agreed 1 hr or less a day. I dont give him any screen time. Everytime I step out , it is his screentime. If I am home, my son plays with me most of the time while my husband will be sitting on the couch and watching youtube or scrolling through the phone. I understand if HE has work and need to show our son youtube, but I think showing our son youtube otherwise the whole time I am out is just lazy parenting.

His meal time we agreed is 7.30 pm. But in the last 4 times that my husband has cooked, 1 day dinner was served at 10pm, and today lunch was served at 3pm. And last weekend breakfast was served at 11am. He is busy doomscrolling or doing whatever unproductive stuff on his phone while neglecting our sons care. It is very frustrating to me when he does not stick to agreed upon plan. These are just 2 exampes. The problem in our marriage was that I always felt unheard and that he always spent too much time on his phone than connect with me. Marriage was very lonely.

We have tried therapy that did not work either. He makes temporary changes and then goes back to the same cycle.

Can I go any legal route to fix this. I do not have a lot of money to spend on lawyers. I make decent income but I have more mouths to feed. We are immigrants and we do not have a family here. I do not have another place to go to and can not afford to buy or rent another place.

I had once reached out to a divorce lawyer and she said I can not do anything to limit screentime legally. Any feedback ia appreciated. Fyi: our finances are all split 50-50. Wanted to understand from a family lawyer if I can do anything to help nurture my child better. He was extraordinary. He could write alphabets by age 2, and was way more advanced in alphabets and numbers than kids his own age. He has forgotten everything now and is only interested in baby sharks and I think it is because of the screentime.