Halifax’s Family Magazine ourchildrenmagazine.ca
November 2016
Canine comfort
Starr Dobson learns about therapy dogs
Picky about lice Learn to treat the pest and the stigma
Keeping girls in sports helps body, mind, and spirit
+ boost of goodness
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face to face • book reviews
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contents
November 2016
9 Enter the annual We Love Our Teachers contest! Find details on page 9.
features 14 Power players When girls stay in sports, they have a chance to connect with mind, body, and spirit
17 Staying ahead of lice Anyone with hair is at risk of getting these pests. Education and understanding are the keys to treatment
24 A boost of goodness There are easy ways to teach our kids to healthy. Try these simple tricks to add more nutrition to your family meals.
26 More than man’s best friend Therapy and PTSD dogs can offer comfort to those in need
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departments 07 Editor’s note 09 Contest Our annual We Love Our Teachers contest is back! Nominate your teacher today
10 First bell Events, new products, trends, and more
20 Face to face A local developmental psychologist is researching same-sex couples who are parents and finds more in common with families of all compositions
28 Superintendent’s message 30 Book reviews
Our Children | November 2016
contest: Ready, set, read! Get your class together r new reading contest and win a party!
Proper treatment of lice requires a good comb, lots of patience, and ignoring the misconceptions.
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our
Winter FUN!
On our cover Karissa, Quinn, and Lauren show us the ways in which girls can excel at sports. Contributor Heidi Tattrie Rushton learns from the experts the ways to encourage girls to keep active.
There’s so much to do at the Sackville Sports Stadium and with the new expansion of programs there’s even more!! Registration for all Winter 2017 programs will begin on Monday, December 12th at 7:00am!
Photo: Steve Smith/VisionFire
Publisher Patty Baxter Senior Editor Trevor J. Adams
Swim Lessons
Messy Play
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Dance
Funology Science Art
Run, Jump, Roll
March Break Camp
For a complete listing of programs, please visit our website or phone us at 902-869-4141!
Editor Suzanne Rent Contributing Editor Kim Hart Macneill Art Director Mike Cugno Printing Advocate Printing & Publishing Contributors Starr Dobson Elwin LeRoux Heidi Tattrie Rushton Edie Shaw-Ewald For advertising sales and editorial and subscription enquiries: Tel. 902-420-9943 Fax 902-429-9058 publishers@metroguide.ca 2882 Gottingen Street Halifax, Nova Scotia B3K 3E2 www.metroguidepublishing.ca www.ourchildrenmagazine.ca
Our Children | November 2016
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note
Picky about lice Sometimes having kids is gross. I don’t mean the kids themselves (OK, maybe on occasion). Snot, boogers, spitup, poo, vomit, and worse—parents tolerate a lot. And sooner or later, lice will wriggle onto that list. There’s nothing more primal than picking nits out of your kid’s hair. If you ever wondered what it’s like to be one of those Animal Planet monkeys, wait until your kid has lice. At least we don’t eat them. While they don’t spread disease, I don’t think they have any nutritional value either.
Suzanne Rent, Editor
On Facebook: Our Children Magazine
On Twitter: @Suzanne_Rent @OurChildrenMag
Lice are a nuisance. A huge nuisance. And only the most diligent of work will help rid your kid and family of these parasites. But lice also bring a lot of stigma. And stigma doesn’t spread anything but ignorance. Lice have been around as long as humans have been around. Lice are to humans what fleas are to our pets. We can’t get lice from our pets, only from other people. No one person is a carrier, but we can all be the vehicle. Kids are more likely than adults to get lice, but adults can get them, too. Lice don’t prefer people who are unhygienic. And lice seem to be more resistant to some of the treatments you
find over the counter in your local pharmacy. That’s problematic. Parents will share their stories of battling lice in small circles of close friends, but never out in public because the shame surrounding having lice is still quite strong. I bet a lot of our readers have dealt with lice at least once. Lice don’t have to be the shameful ordeal we make it out to be. Some people with an entrepreneurial spirit have even found a way to make a business out of nitpicking and helping families deal with lice. Learn more about their work and the misconceptions of lice on page 17. I have heard all the stereotypes about people who get lice: they are dirty, lazy, or of a certain socio-economic status. This is not only untrue, but a terrible and mean way to categorize and treat people. So, let’s be more understanding, helpful, and patient with families who have to deal with this parasite. You’re a lucky parent if you’ve not yet among them. As always, email comments and story ideas to me at srent@metroguide.ca
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Our Children | November 2016
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NEW contest
We Love Our Teachers! “ Let us remember: One book, one pen, one child, and one teacher can change the world.” - MalalaYousafzai
Send us the name of a teacher who has contributed to your school experience in an exceptional way, telling us how you were affected. We want to celebrate the fantastic teachers in all of our schools, but only one can win. Make sure it’s your special teacher we hear about. Atlantica Hotel & Marina at Oak Island will treat the winning teacher and a guest to a night’s stay, breakfast, and a spa treatment. Send an email to srent@metroguide.ca or mail us a letter at Our Children Magazine, 2882 Gottingen St., Halifax, N.S. B3K 3E2 We’ll draw a winner on Friday, March 24, 2017
our
First bell
Crack the code at Citadel Hill
PHOTO: D. WILSON/PARKS CANADA
Families will love visiting the Halifax Citadel National Historic Site next summer. Admission to national parks be free all year in honour of Canada’s 150th birthday. Also, from May to October 2017, kids ages six to 11 can explore the historic fort with Parks Canada’s Xplorers Program and earn a special souvenir. They can also be a spy and help crack a secret message to help save the fort with Citadel Adventures. Visit parkscanada.gc.ca/ halifaxcitadel for more details.
Our Children | November 2016
Straighten Museum happenings out
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Docbraces is offering free consultations. The Canadian Association of Orthodontists recommends that all children have an orthodontic consultation by age seven. Patients with more complex cases or oral habits such as thumb sucking can benefit dramatically from an early phase of treatment. That prevents the need for more invasive treatment later. Orthodontists are specialists in their field and receive three years of additional education and training beyond general dentists. Docbraces has offices in Halifax and Dartmouth. docbraces.com
The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is hosting a monthly Lego Users Club, and invites those interested in digital animation and building creatively with bricks to try it out. To register, send participant’s name, parent’s name, email address, and home phone number to jeanne.church@ novascotia.ca or 902-424-7491. Also, Christmas at Sea and the popular Lego display will be coming in December. You can also learn about the popular charity drive for Mission to Seafarers. That program provides welcome packages to international sailing crew stationed in Halifax over the holidays. The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday with free admission on Tuesday evenings. Visit Merlin the rainbow macaw and have fun in the exhibits. Visit maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca for more information or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
Wee Talk is a private practice offering consultation, assessment, and therapy to children from infant to school age. Owner Shauna Dolan worked as a speechlanguage pathologist in public health clinics in British Columbia and ran a successful practice where she provided services to children with a variety of communication difficulties. She believes strong communication skills are important to a child’s success in all aspects of life, including academics, extracurricular activities, friendships, and relationships with family and peers. Visit weetalkspeech.com.
Eminflow Music Studio serves Halifax, Cole Harbour, Lawrencetown, and Porters Lake. Programs include voice and piano lessons, Eminflow Youth Singers (ages eight-17) and a play-based Early Childhood Music Program by Music Together. The Music Together Centre currently holds mixed age family classes (ages birth to five) on Thursday mornings in Halifax and on Saturdays mornings in Cole Harbour. Singers can join Eminflow Youth Singers at any point in the year for $25 per month. All rehearsals are Thursdays, 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Lawrencetown. In-home lessons available. Book your free trial class at Eminflow.com today.
Music for the ages Music for Young Children (MYC) teaches children from the ages of two to 10 the foundation of music education and piano playing, in a group setting. An early-childhood specialist designs and writes the programs with specific qualifications not only in music education, but learning styles and learning disabilities. The method uses age-appropriate activities to help develop not only their ability to play and read music, but also cognitive, physical, and social skills. MYC provides the structure for learning to take place while allowing children the freedom to think. Children are empowered to set goals in their music learning while experiencing a playful, positive environment. Visit myc.com.
Our Children | November 2016
Wee Talk Speech Therapy
Flow with the music
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Photos A look at what’s happening at schools around the HRSB.
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Our Children | November 2016
PHOTOS: SUBMITTED
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1. Ghaliya, Keneigha, and Alexis are new Sphero experts at Joseph Howe School in Halifax. They are all in Grade 6. Sphero is a robot students can program with an iPad. It teaches code to kids in Grades 4 to 6.
2. Students at Bell Park Academic Centre in Lake Echo work together to create peace. 3. A drum made in Millbrook First Nation for Shannon Park Elementary in Dartmouth got its first use during a Mi’kmaw honour song assembly. 4. Students at Hammonds Plains Consolidated collected the equivalent of eight baby elephants in food for Feed Nova Scotia. The initiative was part of the We Scare Hunger campaign that takes part every October. 5. Students in Grades 4/5 at Grosvenor Wentworth learning to use descriptive words in their writing. 6. Grade Primary and 1 students at Basinview Community Drive School in Bedford proudly stand with their presentation on poppies and Remembrance Day.
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7. Rockee from the St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog program visits students at Rockingstone Heights in Halifax. 8. Students at Eastern Passage Education Centre solve Pythagorean theorem problems they created with diaramas. 9. Wanda Robson, sister of Viola Desmond, Canadian civil rights icon, visits Grade 2 students at Chebucto Heights. 10. A note of encouragement on the desks of students in Grades 5 and 6 at Grosvenor Wentworth Elementary. 11. CTV meteorologist Cindy Day gives a presentation on weather to students at Inglis Elementary. 12. Two students at Waverley Memorial learn about patterns in math.
Our Children | November 2016
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Cover story
Power
players When girls stay in sports, they have a chance to connect with mind, body, and spirit
Our Children | November 2016
By Heidi Tattrie Rushton | Photo by Steve Smith/VisionFire
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A stellar performance by Canadian women at the Summer Olympics inspired many girls to take up new sports this year. But research by the Women’s Sports Foundation shows that by the time they’re 14, girls drop out of sports at two times the rate of boys. The Community Foundations of Canada’s Vital Signs Report (2015) shows that trend continuing into adulthood with about one in three men to every one in six women regularly participating in sport. That’s why local fitness leaders say it’s time to change the conversation with girls about physical activity. Joan Helson, owner of SISU, a martial arts based self-defence studio, started offering empowerment based self-defence programs specifically for girls when she realized many were dropping out of physical activity programs in their preteen years. She found that one of the main reasons the girls gave her was that they felt pressure to succeed at a high level in competitive sports. This pressure intensifies right around puberty, the same age many girls typically start questioning their body’s capabilities, leaving them feeling self-conscious when participating in sports.
“They start to lose touch with some of what I refer to as their superpowers, those kinds of things that make them invincible when they’re three, start to peel away a little bit,” Helson says. Stacy Chesnutt coaches Girls Gone Gazelle, a non-competitive running club (which she also calls a confidence club), and says she hears that same message from girls who believe that if they haven’t mastered a sport by late elementary, they probably won’t try at all. “All the girls that they know who are sporty are ‘experts,’” she says. “They think that if they’re going to be a runner or a hockey player or a soccer player they have to have perfect form already and they have to be really good. There’s no conversation about just starting somewhere.” Jenny Kierstead, who was an elite basketball player, created the Yoga in the Schools program. She says that while being involved in competitive sport helped shape who she is today, she has also lived the flip side of it. When she was competing in basketball she dropped all other physical activities because, “If I wasn’t perfect, I didn’t want to play.” She sees this mentality potentially extending to body issues during teen years.
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Cover story Living the active life Mackenzie Tomlin, 14, is a member of her dance school’s pre-professional company and is a dancer in Symphony Nova Scotia’s production of The Nutcracker. She also spends time with her family biking, running, skiing, and playing outside for fun. The Grade 9 student at l’École du Carrefour says staying involved in sports has given her confidence. “If you’re active you can do anything and everything you want to do,” she says. Tomlin says being active is a great way to “wake up” her body after hours of sitting in a classroom. “Going home and sitting on your couch or bed scrolling through your Instagram feed or playing video games isn’t healthy,” she says. “Being involved in structured sports and activities always gives you something to do, teaches you great life skills, and, depending on the sport, it can teach you how to work well with others. If you love it, why not do it?”
“The competitiveness of sports today can be really detrimental,” Kierstead says. “Girls today are faced with unprecedented social and academic pressure and I think that sport can add to that. She says in some cases she’s seen the pressure of fitting a certain image lead to eating disorders and body dysmorphia. That’s a disorder in which a person becomes obsessed with their appearance and often imagines defects with their body. Teaching young girls to be comfortable with their bodies and relieving the pressure of being “the best” at this critical age can set them on a path to a lifetime of fitness and the benefits that come with it. One way to do this is to provide a noncompetitive physical activity option they can participate in where they have control over their performance. “It’s hard to be a kid, and there are a lot of things girls can’t control at a certain age, but going for a run is something that they can control and that they can give to themselves,” Chestnutt says. “It’s very empowering to make the decision ‘I’m going to be a runner’ or ‘I’m going to be an athlete.’ And it’s been proven that exercise helps with everything. Studies have shown that you sleep better, you make better eating choices, you’re more focused in school.”
Our Children | November 2016
Helson offers a program called Be Your Own Superhero for preteen and teen
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girls. The class teaches them how to stand up for themselves, but it also helps them understand what their bodies are capable of doing. She says while most girls start out feeling self-conscious in class, they soon learn how to focus on their own activity and begin to understand that fitness is a form of self-care, knowing your own body, and it doesn’t have to be in a competitive arena. “Most of us are never going to make a living as an athlete but what we do want is to have a healthy and active lifestyle through programs that encourage girls to get out of their head and get into their bodies,” Helson says. “There’s nothing else that’s going to give them that same kind of feeling as when they connect their mind, body and spirit.” Kierstead agrees. “My passion, my commitment, right now is to help everybody, but especially girls and their teachers and role models, to change the conversation; to pull it away from body perfection and body obsessing and start talking about what they can offer, what their talents are, what their gifts are,” she says. “In my research I found a sobering realization that girls are no longer seeking role models in teachers and spiritual leaders like they once used to. Girls’ main role models today are celebrities. Let’s give them other role models to look up to.” Showing girls that they have the power over their participation in physical activities, including options that don’t require them to compete with others, and connecting them with strong, local, female role models can set the foundation for a healthy attitude towards a lifetime of physical activity.
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Feature
lice
Staying ahead of
Getting rid of lice is a tricky business. But there are ways to treat this infestation that can make it easy on everyone.
By Suzanne Rent Photos from The Lice Crew
Anyone with hair is at risk of getting these pests. Education and understanding are the keys to treatment
This clinic opened its doors in August and so far has treated clients from ages 13 months to 92 years old. They come from around the city, but also from as far away as Fredericton and Cape Breton. This is the home of The Lice Crew. And as its name suggests, the technicians here help clients rid their hair of lice.
Lice Crew technicians can take one to three hours to clear a client’s head. Technicians advise clients to come back for a recheck. That’s to see if the most microscopic eggs hatched, and the technicians can break the cycle. Traditionally to treat lice, most parents made their way to a local pharmacy and picked up a treatment kit that included an insecticide shampoo and a plastic comb. But they aren’t always effective. Patience and the right equipment are key.
Lice have been around much longer than anyone who decided to make a business out of getting rid of it. As long as there have been humans, there have been lice. Since lice spread easily amongst children, parents dread them. Often needlessly.
Technicians at The Lice Crew use plant-based natural treatments. These won’t kill the live lice, like traditional insecticides in treatment kits, but they do loosen the glue that keeps the nits clinging to the hair. That makes nit removal easier.
“So many people deal with this problem,” says Joni Jacobson, senior vice-president of lice operations with The Lice Crew via a phone interview. “It’s not nearly as difficult to handle as everybody thinks when they first find out about it.”
The real key to treating lice is combing. The staff at The Lice Crew create some fun in the special ways they comb their clients’ hair. There’s the “Elvis” in which the hair is combed straight back. The “Donald Trump” has a client’s hair swept to the side. Another technique is called “A Flock of Seagulls”
Our Children | November 2016
At the corner of Quinpool and Robie in Halifax is a new and unique business. It’s part clinic and part hair salon.
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Feature it’s named for the lead singer of the’80s band, and involves combing that goes from the back of the hairline over the top of the head. And the “Alfalfa” has the hair all combed onto the top to make a point, much like the hairstyle of star of the 1950s show, The Little Rascals. Combine these combing techniques ensures the technicians get all of the nits. The comb the technicians use is a sturdy steel comb branded as The Terminator. Gaynor Watson-Creed, medical officer with the Nova Scotia Health Authority, agrees that getting the right comb is most important. She says ditch the plastic combs from the treatment kits, and instead find a proper metal comb with the teeth close together. She also suggests parting the hair in one-inch segments and going through each thoroughly. Harder to treat are the myths and misconceptions surrounding lice. “People’s most common worry is that their house is infested,” Jacobson says. “That is simply not the case. Lice die, off the head, without their host within 24 hours.” Also, having lice doesn’t mean you’re unclean. In fact, Jacobson says lice seem to prefer clean hair as they get a better grip on the strands of hair. Lice are a human parasite; they don’t transfer from animals to people. And lice themselves don’t carry disease, although Jacobson says it’s possible to get a secondary infection from the scratching that comes with about 50 per cent of the cases of head lice. Lice don’t fly, but rather crawl from head to head via strands of hair. Jacobson says 90 per cent of the cases are from head-tohead contact. “When you’re sitting on the couch on the left side, one is not going to run over and jump into your head,” she says.
Watson-Creed says children are most at risk because of how they play. “They like to play close and hug each other,” she says. “And that’s how lice are going to get transmitted. It’s not at all an uncommon affliction. It’s not at all a reflection on how somebody is doing or failing to do in their lives. It’s simply a common childhood infestation.” Having lice can be stigmatizing for a child. That was one of the reasons behind changes to the HRSB’s head lice policy in June 2015. Previously, if a child in one class was found to have lice, a letter was sent home to all parents advising them a child in their child’s class had lice. But that meant parents could often figure out what child had lice by asking what child was missing from class. Now, schools send home reminders a few times a year in which parents are advised to do regular head checks at home. Watson-Creed, who advised the HRSB on the new policy, says it follows a similar one in the U.K. where one in three children get head lice. She says there lice are accepted as a common childhood issue. “What I love about what they’ve done is they’ve come to the place of realizing, oh this is just a common childhood infestation,” Watson-Creed says. “So parents, you should just get used to the fact that you might have a child come home for head lice. You might want to check for that a few times a year.” Watson-Creed says the focus on lice also takes away the focus on what schools should be doing, that is, education. She says previous policies often saw children missing days, even weeks, of school. “The impact on their educational trajectory is irreversible, if that happens, and why would you take that risk for head lice?” Watson-Creed says.
Our Children | November 2016
Getting rid of lice takes time, a good comb, thorough inspection, and lots of patience.
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Watson-Creed says schools often get the blame for the spread of lice, but the parasites are around all the time, and yearround. She says in most cases kids are infected during summer activities such as summer camps, sleepovers, and camping trips. Parents often don’t notice the infestation until school is back in class. Jacobson says there are ways to reduce the risk of getting lice, and the technicians share this information with their clients.
Technicians at The Lice Crew, which now have a clinic in Halifax.
She says those with long hair can keep their hair in ponytail. Avoid head-to-head contact with others. Use a preventative shampoo with natural oils that deter lice, for example. The technicians also tell clients how long they’ve had lice.
The experience that lasts a
“The average person thinks their child just contracted it,” Jacobson says. “Very often, we see people with cases ranging from four all the way up to 12 or 16 weeks. You don’t want to wait until you’ve had a case that’s been in your hair for 10 weeks, because it’s pretty severe at that point.”
“One thing that is common is they feel the support from other families that are there,” Jacobson says. “They realized it’s not just them and they feel very relieved when they leave.” Watson-Creed says while lice are a nuisance, treating of them is manageable. She advises calm and understanding. “Be patient with yourself,” she says. “Be patient with your children. Get the right equipment. Focus on the mechanical removal. And know that it will be okay. If you do that as a parent, your kids will be okay, too.”
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WE HAD SO MUCH FUN THIS SUMMER AT BIG COVE!
Early Bird registration for summer 2017 is now open! Summer Camp for girls and boys aged 6–17 Outdoor Centre school trips for classes of grades 5–12
www.bigcove.org
Our Children | November 2016
Families that go to The Lice Crew find more than treatment of the parasites.
LIFETIME!
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Face to face
The meaning of
family
A local developmental psychologist is researching same-sex couples who are parents and finds more in common with families of all compositions By Suzanne Rent Dan Séguin has a unique of experience of mixing his work and personal life. He’s an associate professor at Mount Saint Vincent and is currently researching same-sex couples as parents. Séguin is in a same-sex relationship himself. He and his husband have four kids together, and blended their families six years ago. Three of their children, a 10-year-old and two 16-year-olds, live at home. A 20-year-old has gone to university. “We did it rather seamlessly because we had a lot of good planning beforehand on how to bring the families together,” Sequin says. “We find with our children, they’ve been exposed to so much diversity. I think it’s something we teach them as parents as well.”
Our Children | November 2016
But he often read and heard from the students in his developmental psychology classes that the parenting skills of same-sex couples were much different, and often more negative, than those of opposite-sex couples.
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Séguin says readers of newspapers, for example, can get mixed negative messages about same-sex parents. “But it’s not always right,” he says. “You have to look into the research to see what’s actually there. In development psych, [we] look for concrete evidence, and the outcomes point to positive outcomes. It’s not saying same-sex parents are any better than opposite-sex parents, but rather there are no negative outcomes for having same-sex parents.” Where do the negative messages about same-sex parents come from? I think it comes from people’s own ideas about what may or may not happen with respect to how same-sex couples parent. A lot of people think if you don’t have father figure, a mother figure in the home then there must be something missing. And granted, perhaps there
Dan Séguin
are elements missing, but from a research perspective, an empirical perspective, when there is a figure missing of the opposite sex, or the same sex, the parents often compensate for that missing figure, so that we don’t see necessarily the impact of that. How do they compensate? They often compensate by encouraging the kids to understand there is more diversity and more opportunity. And often times there is additional love that is thrown into the mix that we see. Just because a couple is same-sex or opposite sex doesn’t mean there isn’t going to be anything necessarily missing. You blended your families. That is not unlike a lot of other families, including those with opposite-sex couples. So, those challenges are the same? They were. We had a five-year-old up to a 15-year-old, so our family was a relatively young family. So the challenges that came, if there were any, were integrating schedules because all of a sudden we had four kids’ schedules to account for. But our integration happened rather seamlessly perhaps because my husband and I are very much in tune with the kids, so we talk to our kids a lot. We keep open communication and we’ve always told them if there were any concerns or problems you come to us, we can talk about it.
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Face to face Those are good skills for any parents or any family. Exactly. People look at us and think perhaps we aren’t the normal, average family, when in fact, we are. We have the challenges any family would have. It just happens there are two dads in the home. There really is no difference. That’s part of the reason I decided to kind of dispel the myths. My results
haven’t come out yet, so I’m not sure. But from my past research, there is really no difference in terms of the challenges, either same sex or opposite sex, feel or have with their kids or even the outcomes for their kids. There have been scattering of research that suggests for kids of same-sex parents in terms of learning about diversity and education in certain areas. But that’s because those studies have looked at those
areas specifically. It all depends on what you’re look at with your variables. What have you learned so far about same-sex parenting that surprises you? We can’t always necessarily always rely on things we’ve learned in the past. Oftentimes when I am talking in my developmental classes when I am talking about sex differences, I will have a presentation of slides on what we think we know about the differences between boys and girls and what we really know about the differences between boys and girls. For instance, if I were to say, “Who’s more emotional, boys or girls?” someone’s mind is more likely to go to little girls. However, we know that’s not true. We know in the research that’s not what’s found all the time… depending on context, boys can be more emotional than girls. Sometimes we make this grandiose statement without knowing the context or how things got to where they are. One of things I found that is surprising, so far, is we have to not necessarily bite our tongues, but we have to be cautious in making big statements about families and the composition of families and really look into the hardcore research, the literature, to see if there is any basis for our thoughts about things.
Our Children | November 2016
What is this research teaching you about what family really means?
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Families are changing. Back in 1990 when I took intro to sociology…I remember the prof said, “You know this thing called a nuclear family,” and it was the first time I heard the term, and it’s a mother and father and two and a half children. And that was the standard back then. And that’s not the standard anymore. In that relatively short period of time, we now know that family composition is so different and family doesn’t always mean a mother, a father, and X number of children. It could be a
What have you learned that you’re using in your own family? It’s very hard sometimes to separate it. I think by nature and by personality, I am a talker so what I do with my kids is encourage that discussion as well. And our kids do talk. They are open to communication and if things are bothering them they do talk. Sometimes I have to go back to what I know theoretically to try to solve any problems we may have in the home. But the problems in our home have been relatively minimal. We say every day how lucky we are. Our children are so well adjusted. And that’s sort of a pat on the back for the parenting, but it’s also their temperament. What do you think the research will mean for the children in families where the parents are a same-sex couple? My research results aren’t out yet, but we hypothesize what we might think, and what I’m thinking is we won’t find any difference but if I do find differences in emotional
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components between opposite and same-sex parents it might be slightly in favour of same-sex parents, but I don’t know. But just to encourage the children of same-sex parents to recognize that diversity is fantastic and that just because your family composition might not look like your friend’s family doesn’t make it any less a family. That’s one of the messages I like get out there. What do you want same-sex parents to know? There will be challenges sometimes. I had one situation in my life that was based on homophobia and it wasn’t necessarily family related and it was something that kind of shook me to the core because it hadn’t happened before. Challenges are real, challenges are there, but for parents to recognize there is support out there. It doesn’t matter if you have all the support in the world. Parenting is not an easy task; it’s one of the hardest things anyone will have to do because children are always changing. Just when we think we know our children, they will change. And I say that to everyone. It’s the same for everyone. I think one of the main messages but the challenges we face are really no different.
Our Children | November 2016
mother and two children. It could be a father a child. It could a mother and a mother. What I learned is to be flexible in my own understanding.
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Nutrition
a boost of
goodness
Our Children | November 2016
Simple ways to introduce good nutrition into your family’s favourite meals and treats
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By Edie Shaw-Ewald Improving your family’s eating habits doesn’t have to mean doing away with family favourites and a total upheaval of your family’s diet. I like to think in terms of additions to a diet rather than taking away. That’s a more positive approach.
I know there are some real challenging picky eaters out there and a concern to provide them with the nutrients they need, even if it means disguising a few veggies in their favourite foods. As parents, we have to do what works for our child.
These nutrition boosters are not meant to sneak and hide healthy food inside sauces and soups. Kids should learn how to eat healthy. How can they learn if they don’t know what they are eating?
Try these nutrition boosters in your usual fare. You may find that they will naturally mean fewer requests for desserts and sweet snacks because the meal has been so satisfying and energy sustaining.
• Grate extra vegetables into sauces. Carrots, sweet potato, butternut squash, and zucchini are great in a spaghetti sauce. Cooked and mashed sweet potato or butternut squash can replace some of the cheese in macaroni and cheese. • Try spaghetti squash? You can use spaghetti squash in place for pasta. Cut it in half, lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Put it cut-side down on a baking sheet and bake in a 375˚ F (190˚ C) oven for 30 to 45 minutes or until a fork easily pierces through the squash. Let it cool a bit and then take a fork and scrape out the strands. Top with your favourite spaghetti sauce.
calcium and protein. But what sets it apart from yogurt is its probiotic power. Kefir contains 12 or more strains of friendly bacteria, which can aid with digestion and your immune system. Add plain kefir to your smoothies or on top of your oatmeal. • You have probably seen the recipes for black bean brownies, but have you tried them? One cup (250 mL) of drained, rinsed, pureed canned black beans can replace one cup of flour in
a brownie recipe. The beans also add protein and fibre to this classic treat. My favourite Black Bean Brownie recipe comes from this Nova Scotian blogger, Mmmm is for Mommy. I reduce the sugar to ½ cup in this recipe. mmmisformommy.com/2011/05/ legendary-black-bean-brownie.html Edie Shaw-Ewald is a registered dietitian at Atlantic Superstore.
• Cauliflower rice is trending right now. I can really support a trend that means eating more cruciferous veggies. Grate raw cauliflower and sauté it in a large saucepan or wok. Add some more chopped veggies and cubes of cooked chicken and you have a quick stir-fried rice dish.
• Replace small portions of meat with cooked green lentils in recipes for meatballs or hamburgers, tacos, or chili. Turn a meat-based meal into meatless by trying a recipe for tacos, or burritos using beans or lentils. I think you will be impressed. I love Chef Michael Smith’s recipe for Lentil Burritos and I don’t bother with the bacon. Find that recipe here: chefmichaelsmith.com/recipe/baconlentil-burrito-2 • Have you met kefir? Kefir is a fermented milk product and contains
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Our Children | November 2016
• If you are really rushed, take a can of lentil vegetable soup, add a cup or two of mixed frozen vegetables, a can of drained, rinsed beans such as chickpeas, and extra water if you want to thin it out. It will be like an instant stew. Use red lentils to thicken up a soup or stew, rinse dried red lentils well, then add ½ (125 mL) cup to a medium pot of soup.
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parenting
health and wellness
More than man’s best friend Therapy and PTSD dogs can offer comfort to those in need By Starr Dobson As the proud owner of an almost 10-year-old shih tzu named Isabelle Chocolate Dobson (aka Izzy), I know just how alluring a fluffy white pup can be to a child. Much to Izzy’s delight, children at the park play with her when they want a little canine companionship. Fortunately, Izzy loves attention and is used to interacting with youngsters. But as we all know, that’s not always the case. Teaching your children how to approach a stranger’s dog is imperative. The little ones impress me when they ask, “May I pat your dog?” well before they get too close or bend down to Izzy’s level. A dog bit me when I was a child and I quickly learned you can never be too careful.
Our Children | November 2016
Today, there are more dogs in our community that come with rules that go beyond the basics. Therapy and service dogs are more prevalent in our schools, shopping centres, and public areas. Here at the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia, we work with many PTSD service dog handlers and they all share the same message: Please don’t interact with a dog that’s wearing a vest.
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The reasons are simple. Service dogs are working dogs so don’t distract them They’re specifically trained to react to their handler’s emotions and needs. A handler will sometimes agree to letting his or her dog be patted, but ask them first. In many cases, the handler will have a command to give his or her dog to let the animal know it’s okay to be touched by a stranger. It’s also important to talk to your children about not approaching a handler and service dog team from behind. An unanticipated encounter can cause stress and fear for both the animal and the handler.
From a medical point of view, it’s inappropriate to ask handlers why they have a service dog. There are many reasons this may be necessary, and don’t expect all handlers to talk openly about their personal medical conditions. Beyond service dogs, there are also more therapy dogs making the rounds these days. They’re trained to connect with people. Their mission is less disciplined. They interact with humans to provide feelings of unconditional love, comfort and calmness. You’ll often find them roaming the halls of nursing homes, university student centres, libraries, hospitals, and community centres. St. John Ambulance offers a therapy dog program. It started back in 1992 as a pilot project and now boasts nearly 3,000 therapy dog teams that visit thousands of people each year. Its goal is to improve lives by bringing joy and comfort to the sick, lonely, and people in need of a friendly visit. There are even special programs such as Paws 4 Stories that help children learn to read (by reading to a therapy dog) without judgment or a fear of being wrong. There’s no disputing the mental health benefits of dogs. Izzy isn’t a service or therapy dog, but she certainly provides me with many mental health benefits. She’s always happy to see me and that makes me happy, too. She also seems to instinctually know when I’m feeling a little blue. That’s when she typically comes looking to be snuggled. I can’t imagine not having her as part of our family. It brings me great joy to watch her bring big smiles to the faces of neighbourhood youngsters at the park. They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but you can teach your children about the new ways dogs are making
a difference in our communities. Whether a service dog, therapy dog, or regular ole Izzy dog, they all come with special abilities to create laughter and love. To learn more about the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia’s PTSD First Responder Service Dog Program visit mentalhealthns.ca/ptsd-service-dogs
Starr Dobson is the president and CEO of the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia. She’s an acclaimed journalist, best-selling children’s author, and volunteer. She won the Rising Star Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Nova Scotia Chapter in 2015 and the Dr. Elizabeth A. Chard Award from Special Olympics Nova Scotia in 2014.
Above: Starr with a service dog that is in training. Right: Starr’s dog, Izzy.
Our Children | November 2016
To learn more about the St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog Program visit sja.ca
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superintendent’s
message
Partners in education Parent-teacher meetings are a crucial part of your child’s learning experience. Here’s how to make them successful for everyone
By Elwin LeRoux, Superintendent Each year in late fall and early spring, student report cards go home to parents and guardians. Report cards provide a snapshot of your child’s achievement to date. They offer feedback on the expected learning outcomes as well as the development and application of work habits and social skills. While they do provide valuable insight into your child’s progress, report cards are only one part of the home and school communication equation. Parent (or guardian)/teacher interviews are usually scheduled for the week following the distribution of report cards. These meetings provide you with the opportunity to meet with your child’s teacher, face to face, to discuss progress in school. This is a chance to gain a deeper understanding of your child’s strengths, challenges, and ways you can support learning at home.
Our Children | November 2016
If you have any questions or concerns at any point during the school year, please know that you do not have to wait for these meetings. We encourage you to connect with your child’s teacher throughout the school year, and especially when you feel it’s necessary.
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A great way to begin preparing for a teacher meeting is by talking to your child about how they feel about school. What do they like about being a mathematician? What do they like about being a writer? What makes them excited to go to school? How do they feel they are progressing? It’s never too early to coach your child on self-awareness and responsibility. Take time to review your child’s report card with them in advance. Are there things that need to be celebrated? Are there things you need clarified? How do they feel about what the teacher has written? What do they feel they need to work on? How can you assist the teacher to bring out the brilliance in your child?
It’s also important to talk about school experiences other than academics. What opportunities do they have to bring their interests to class? How are they able to participate in class? What leadership roles have they held? How do they keep organized? What do they enjoy most about being at school? Understanding how your child perceives their own school experience will help you have a productive conversation with the teacher. Working with your child’s classroom teacher is foundational to their success in school. As parents and guardians, you are our partners. Make a list of topics you would like to discuss with the teacher based on the conversations with your child. How is my child progressing in math? What are my child’s strengths as a reader? What are my child’s strengths as a writer? How is their participation in class? How engaged are they? How do they interact with peers? Do they ask questions? Don’t be afraid to share what you learned from your child’s perspective. Because you know your child best, you will always have valuable information that will assist a teacher in understanding who your child is and what strengths, prior knowledge and lived experiences they bring to the classroom. Make plans with the teacher and set goals. What will progress look like in the next month? How can that be supported from home? As partners in education, parents and guardians play a crucial role in encouraging their children to work hard in school and at home. Talk positively about learning, especially math. Talk about goals in a positive way; think of it as an investment in the teenage years. If you have any concerns about your child’s progress in school, the classroom teacher is there to help. In fact, there is a whole team of experts to draw upon. Teachers, administrators
Don’t forget to follow up with your child after attending parent (or guardian)/ teacher interviews. Share what you learned from their teacher, celebrate their achievements, and tell them how you will continue to support their learning at home. Communication among the student, parents/guardians, and the teacher is a key to success. Learning is a process, best fuelled by descriptive and constructive feedback. When teachers and parents/guardians work on that together, results add up. Seize the opportunity to ensure that communication between home and school is anchored in positive, ongoing, and thoughtful conversation. Celebrate your child’s achievements with them and their teacher. Starting early will set the foundation for a lifetime love of learning. Elwin LeRoux is the superintendent of the Halifax Regional School Board. You can follow him on Twitter @Elwin_LeRoux.
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Things to remember: • Learning looks different at different grade levels. • Support a plan of independence and self-awareness. It’s never too early to build responsibility in children. • Ask your child’s teacher to describe what success looks like for your child in the next few months. • Be actively engaged in your child’s learning. • Keep in contact with your child’s teacher. • Don’t forget, your child has more than just a classroom teacher.
Communicating with physical education, music, and French teachers helps to build a greater picture of your child’s learning progress. • Never feel you have to wait until parent (or guardian)/teacher interviews to connect with your child’s teacher. Regular communication is key. • Make sure your child is happy at school. Having fun while learning is so important. • We are here to support your child’s success in school.
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Our Children | November 2016
and school staff meet regularly to discuss student success and problem-solve together. Never hesitate to connect with your child’s teacher. Together, you can set realistic learning goals, discuss supports and identify ways to track progress. Should challenges persist, the school principal and the School Planning Team will work with you, your child, and their classroom teacher to find a solution that is right. Our mission is to provide a high quality education for every student every day.
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book reviews By Trevor J. Adams
Cure for Wereduck
Falcons in the City: The Story of a Peregrine Family
By Dave Atkinson Nimbus Publishing Ages 9 to 13
Our Children | November 2016
This is the sequel to Atkinson’s acclaimed (and hilarious) novel Wereduck. In this installment, young Katie learns to deal with being a wereduck in a family of werewolves, as a sleazy tabloid reporter chases her family away from their cozy New Brunswick cabin to Ontario farm country. There, Katie hears about a cure for her affliction. In a warm, witty, and fast-paced story, she struggles to save her family, stay ahead of that meddlesome journalist, and make new friends. Inventive and original, this book is a must for young readers. It’s engaging enough to hold more experienced readers, while staying accessible for kids trying out their first novel.
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Story by Chris Earley Photography by Luke Massey Firefly Books Ages 9 to 13 In this true story, Earley shares how Chicago resident Dacey Arashiba came home one day to discover a family of endangered peregrine falcons living on the patio of his 28th-storey apartment. Jammed with up-close and unique photos of the majestic birds, this book is the fascinating story of how people and wild animals learn to co-exist peacefully. In addition to a heartwarming tale, Earley offers tons of information on how the falcons live, where they nest, the egg hatching process, hunting, and much more. Don’t let the urban perspective fool you—this book will be equally fascinating for kids who live in the country.
The Snow Knows Story by Jennifer McGrath Illustrations by Josée Bisaillon Nimbus Publishing Ages 4 to 8 A perfect primer for winter, this dreamy and ethereal book captures the magic and mystery of nature in a frigid sylvan slumber. McGrath’s writing is sparse and elegant, effortlessly engaging young readers. Lines link “The snow knows where the lynx slinks” have a poetical elegance, which Bisaillon complements beautifully with whimsical hide-and-seek images. Readers will spend hours studying the illustrations for glimpses of birds, cats, foxes, and coyotes. Want to encourage your kids to be more active and spend more time outdoors in winter? The Snow Knows will be a big help.
PARENTS’ PICK: 101 Things For Kids To Do On a Rainy Day By Dawn Isaac Firefly Books The award-winning author of 101 Things For Kids To Do Outside turns her attentions in a new direction, with the perfect book to get your family through the winter doldrums. From simple card games to elaborate science experiments there’s a lot hear to keep kids active and engaged, and away from their electronic screens. While some of these activities need some parental supervision (that counter-top volcano has potential to be messy) lots of them (like shadow charades) are agreeably hands-off. You can also check out Isaac’s ideas on her popular blog littlegreenfingers.com.
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