GRAND Magazine Vol V Ed V

Technology Smart Kids & Smart Phones

My children were probably the last generation to be raised without cellphones, so I must admit, I had absolutely no experience with them as a parent. In fact, I actually held off buying one for myself for a long time.

By nature, I tend to resist change, especially technological change that al-

come to realize (albeit grudgingly) how valuable cellphones can actually be in terms of providing quality learning experiences—supervised, of course.

Years ago, I made the decision to cancel my landline, so my cellphone is my only method of contacting someone. Out of necessity, therefore, I have had to teach my

Susan Gnucci is a local author and a proud “nonna” to two young grandsons. She enjoys sharing her experiences as a grandparent.

ways seems so daunting, but eventually, I did purchase a cellphone when my first grandchild was born. With his birth, I felt it was more important than ever to be able to keep in close touch with my son and daughter-in-law. Now I can’t imagine my life without one.

I still have reservations about cellphones, especially when it comes to teenagers. As a former teacher, I can only imagine the issues that arise in the schools and classrooms with respect to cellphone usage. When it comes to my 7-year-old grandson, however, I have

grandson how to access the cellphone keypad in the event of an emergency in which he would have to call 911. We routinely practice all the steps involved in calling for help and I always keep my cellphone in the same location in my home so he knows exactly where to find it. This experience has given him a sense of pride that he is entrusted with such an important job and it has led to interesting discussions between us about the different emergency services in our community.

My grandson also knows how to access the text function on my phone in case

he wants to send his father or mother a message while he is away from them. We have had great fun inserting emojis and gifs into creative messages that convey his own unique personality so my son and daughter-in-law know my grandson is the sender. If they receive a text that has oodles of cars and truck emojis tacked on the end, they can be certain it’s from him!

One of my grandson’s favourite games is “Ask the phone a question.” Using the microphone, he will pose a question and then we will research the suggested results. Where is the largest volcano?  Who built the pyramids? What is a fire break? This not only broadens his knowledge base but also teaches him to think critically because I often point out the validity of a source as we look through it.

Amazingly, the camera function on a smartphone these days is capable of pro ducing good quality photos and videos. Like most children, my young grandson loves to be videotaped—he pretends to be a weatherman, a firefighter, an explorer etc. And then, of course, he enjoys watch ing the videos we’ve created together. We have also experimented with the slowmotion video function to produce some hilarious results.  Or we will film his hot wheel car jump in slow motion, leading to modifications of the set up in order to achieve desired results.

He often asks for my phone to take his own photos and videos. He might set up a detailed Lego scene for instance which he will then videotape and narrate a tour through. Admittedly, his first few attempts shot more footage of the wall or the floor, but he has gradually gotten the hang of it, understanding how to hold the phone to get the best results, even zooming in on details of his subject. I have also shown him the editing functions for photos, so we have played with things like brightness, tint, shadow effects, etc. We often discuss which effect we like best and how these effects change the mood or message of the photo.

So although I still have reservations about children and cellphones in general, I have come to recognize their value when their use is controlled and supervised. They have taught me to embrace new technologies rather than fear them—yes, you can teach an old dog new tricks!—and to look for positive ways to share that technology with the next generation in order to stay connected.

Setting Up a Meal Train

Ameal train is when a group of family members and friends work together to deliver meals to someone who is going through a major life change. While some of these occasions are happy, like the birth of a new baby, it is often set up to assist in sad and stressful periods.

The general idea is to have a calendar where everyone chooses a date to drop off a meal. That way the person or family in need is well fed while they cope with their transition.

Meal trains can be organized via group emails or texts. Setting up a google spreadsheet that can be shared around is a simple way to organize a meal train. There are also apps and services that can be used for coordination, for example, mealtrain.com and takethemameal.com.

Even if you aren’t up for coordinating a meal train, it’s always nice to drop off a healthy meal to someone who could use a bit of a hand.

Here are a few tips if you’re planning on dropping off a meal to someone:

• Use containers that you don’t need to get back.

• Date the food, because they might not remember when it was dropped off.

• Provide reheating instructions.

• Ask about dietary restrictions in advance.

Here are three healthy meals that are perfect for sharing. They are rich, warm, and filling. Food that will comfort and nourish. Make a double-batch so you can enjoy it as well!

Rich Vegetable Noodle Soup

Emillie Parrish loves having adventures with her two busy children. You can find more of her recipes in her recently released cookbook Fermenting Made Simple. fermentingforfoodies.com

This noodle soup is a simple and comforting dish. It’s the sort of soup that tastes better the next day, making it perfect for a meal train.

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 onions, chopped

2 large potatoes, cut into bite-sized cubes

3 leeks, chopped, white and light green parts

3 large carrots, diced

1 1⁄ 2 Tbsp salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

3 quarts stock

1 can of tomato paste (156 mL)

1 pinch of saffron threads

1⁄ 2 lb. green beans, ends removed and cut in half

8 ounces soup pasta or spaghetti, broken in pieces

1 jar of pesto (200g)

1. Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot, add the onions, and saute over low heat for 5 minutes.

2. Add the leeks, potatoes, carrots, salt, and pepper and saute over medium heat for another 5 minutes.

3. Add the stock, stir in the tomato paste, and saffron. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

4. Add the green beans and pasta and simmer until the pasta is cooked, about 10 minutes.

5. Serve the soup with a dollop of pesto in each bowl.

Slow Cooker Kale & Sausage Stew

This is comfort food at its best! This sausage stew features a tomato and mashed potato base that is absolutely delicious.

1 pound Italian sausage, cut into bitesized pieces

1 large onion, chopped

1 large-sized can diced tomatoes (28 oz)

2 garlic cloves, finely diced

1 cup of water

3⁄ 4 tsp each salt and pepper, to taste

2 large-sized mashing potatoes, peeled 1 small bunch of kale, stems discarded and leaves torn

Mashed Potatoes

1⁄ 2 cup of milk

1⁄ 2 cup of olive oil, plus more for serving 1⁄ 2 tsp each of salt and pepper

1. Mix the sausage, onion, tomatoes, and garlic in a slow cooker. Pour in the water and add the salt and pepper. Push the potatoes into the liquid so they are mostly covered.

2. Cook on low for 7 to 8 hours, or 3 to 4 hours on high, until the potatoes are fork tender.

3. Remove the potatoes from the slow cooker. Add the kale to the slow cooker. Stir and allow it to cook while mashing the potatoes.

4. Mash the potatoes with the milk, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Stir back into the stew and serve.

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

While casseroles, soups, and stews are the mainstay of meal trains, sometimes a fresh salad is just the thing. This quinoa salad is packed with vegetables and flavour for a bright dish that will taste good for several days in the fridge. Tomatoes and cucumbers are both delicious additions to this salad, however, they taste best when served right away. So stick with the carrot and pepper if you’re giving the dish to someone else.

1 cup of dried quinoa

2 cups of water

Salad dressing

1⁄ 4 cup apple cider vinegar

3 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp salt and pepper, to taste

1 clove of minced garlic (optional)

Toppings

1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 red pepper, chopped

2 carrots, grated

1⁄ 3 cup chopped fresh parsley

3 diced spring onions

1⁄ 4 cup dried cranberries

1⁄ 2 cup crumbled feta cheese

1. Place the quinoa and water in a small pot. Bring to a boil and simmer until the quinoa is cooked but not soft, about 15 to 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a large bowl.

3. Once the quinoa has finished cooking, gently toss it in the salad dressing. Allow it to cool before adding the toppings. Taste, and adjust the salt as necessary.

4. After the quinoa has cooled, stir in the chickpeas, red pepper, carrot, parsley, and spring onions. Mix well.

5. Top with the cranberries and crumbled feta and serve.

Connecting with Teenage Grandkids

My boys are incredibly blessed to have grandparents who work hard to nurture a trusting, playful connection with them. Who better to offer advice on how to connect with teenage grandkids than two grandparents who make enormous efforts to play an active role in their grandkids’ lives?

My parents live in our city for only two to three months out of the year, which means they need to consider how to remain present in our lives whether they are five minutes or five thousand miles away. Experiencing both ends of the spectrum provides my parents with the added advantage of being able to speak to grandparents who may be geographically close and can partake in daily activities, and those who may live further away and wish to remain connected without the privilege of being physically present.

WORDS OF ADVICE FROM MIKE AND LINDA (AKA PAPA AND NANA)...

Know what’s important to your grandkids. We make an effort to be a part of activities which are important to the boys—school, hobbies, sports, friends. Whenever possible, we show up to their special events but when that’s not feasible, we call or FaceTime because we want to hear all about it. Be sure to ask lots of questions and encourage conversation. Show your interest!

Create opportunities to have fun as a family. If you live in the same city, this may be a family picnic in the park, a Sunday night barbeque, family movie nights or game nights. If you live in a different city, invite your grandchildren to stay with you for a long weekend or an extended period over summer break. (Inviting just the kids without their parents is an excellent way to foster bonding time.) And, when they come to visit, plan exciting experiences you can share together.

Encourage projects together. In the past, we have helped our older grandson build a display wall of skateboards in his bedroom. Last summer, we helped the younger one fashion his own fishing rod. We ask them to cook with us, and we learn new skills together such as wakesurfing. They help us around the yard or with household building projects. When we are working towards a common goal, we share

failures, successes, and lots of laughter. As grandparents, we are modelling that we are still learning too. We love to hear their suggestions and ideas when problems inevitably arise. We want our grandkids to know we think they are smart and innovative (and they can learn a lot from us, too).

If you don’t live near your grandchildren, perhaps you can all take an online course together, watch the same Netflix show, or help them with their homework over FaceTime.

Let your grandkids know how much you enjoy their company. We tell our boys they can talk to us about anything— YouTube, friendships, alcohol, sports, love. We try to be non-judgmental and create a safe space for them to share. They can come to us for advice or support even in times when it’s hard for them to talk with their parents. We appreciate them as teenagers and love who they are trying to become.

Offer to drive them places. While this seems simple, the best conversations often happen in the car! It’s also a fantastic opportunity to get to know their friends, if they come along for the ride. We often offer to stop for a slice of pizza or a Starbucks, as this creates more shared time together.

WORDS FROM MY BOYS…

Jackson (aged 16): It’s easy to talk to Nana and Papa because they take an interest in me. I can talk to Nana about fitness and Papa loves soccer. Papa is one of my best friends. I talk to him almost every day. If you don’t share an interest with your grandkids, you can try to learn a little. Maybe watch a YouTube video or watch their favourite TV show. That way you have something to ask them about.

My grandparents are cool people. They have lots of interesting friends and they have cool experiences, so I like to ask them about what’s going on in their lives. They tell great stories and I like talking to them.

They’re also really fun. They invite me to do cool things with them, like go on the boat, play soccer-golf or go quadding. I like hanging out with them.

Chase (aged 13): I know Nana and Papa care about me because they call regularly. They know my friends’ names and they ask about them. They know my interests. Nana asks what I’m reading, and Papa asks about soccer. They’re also fun to be around. They laugh and smile a lot. I like that.

Connecting with teens isn’t always easy. They can be moody, unpredictable, and hormonal. The world they live in is very different from when you were their age, and this may be challenging to relate to at times. Despite their occasional standoffish-ness, teens want what everyone else wants: to be seen, heard and loved. So push through your grandchildren’s prickly demeanor to show them how much you value and enjoy their company. When grandparents and teens connect, it brings joy and vitality to all!

Kelly Cleeve is a best-selling author and an educator. More importantly, she is the proud parent of two amazing sons. Visit kellycleeve. com or follow her on Instagram @resilient_kel and Facebook – Raising Resilient Children/Radiant and Resilient.

Island kid Ephraim

Champions for the health of every Island family since 1926.

Grandparenting Sunday Crafternoon

It’s a blustery West Coast afternoon, but my three oldest grandchildren and I aren’t worried about the weather. We’re warm and snug inside, rolling up our sleeves in preparation for a few hours of creative adventure. I’ve supplied the large table and the craft supplies; they’ve brought the unfettered enthusiasm and sky-high imaginations of four-, five- and seven-year-olds.

Seven-year-old Kieran takes the lead. He wants to make a model replica of Ladysmith, our mutual hometown. I suggest that we might not be able to construct the entire town in one afternoon, but we can certainly start with our favourite buildings. Kieran immediately gets underway on a very impressive version of Ladysmith’s post office. His younger sister Dahlia and cousin Rhea are game to contribute to the town as well, but need a little help constructing their buildings. In four-year-old Rhea’s case, a box turned inside-out makes an excellent Aggie Hall—with the addition of a sloped roof of course. Five-year-old Dahlia has her heart set on making a “baby house,” which she decorates with a door, a window and a pipe cleaner balloon.

cardboard, and just like that our little town is complete. Well, almost complete. “We need people!” says Kieran. He’s right, of course. Happily, we have a bag of Lego people nearby, just waiting to populate our new community.

My twin daughters arrive to collect their children three hours after they dropped them off—and find them still engrossed in their cardboard town. By any measure, our first “crafternoon” together has been a success. Since I had almost as much fun as my grandkids, I assure them it won’t be our last.

Crafternoon Tips:

The rules are simple: be kind, be safe and have fun! There are no other expectations for our afternoon together. I don’t know how long my grandkids will remain engaged in this activity, and I have no preconceived ideas about what our crafting will produce. We are freestyling, operating without instructions, plans, or even Pinterest pictures to guide us. Our craft materials are our only source of inspiration.

The craft supplies themselves are rudimentary. We have three pairs of scissors of various sizes, rolls of scotch and masking tape, washable markers, crayons and sheets of coloured paper. But most important, we have a laundry hamper overflowing with materials otherwise destined for the recycling bin: cardboard boxes and tubes, plastic lids and containers, cards and flyers and other miscellaneous paper goods. In other words, a creative treasure trove!

While Kieran continues work on the post office, I contribute a few more buildings for my granddaughters to decorate: two six-story apartment complexes (inspired by the size and shape of the boxes in our stash, rather than any actual Ladysmith structures) and a very basic model of our local grocery store. To jazz up the grocery store, we turn its roof into a park. Kieran supplies the bench, water slide and pool.

It’s hard work building a town from scratch, and after an hour and a half my three builders let me know they’re ready for a tea break. Assuming their interest is waning, I begin to tidy up our surplus materials. But no—they aren’t quite finished after all! Fortified by licorice tea and homemade applesauce, they’re ready for their second shift. Again, Kieran leads the way, suggesting a quick trip outside to hunt for sticks to turn into trees.

The second shift goes as smoothly as the first. Kieran adds a tree-house platform to his stick-tree, and then moves on to building a church complete with a steeple and pipe cleaner cross. Dahlia and Rhea turn their attention to colouring and cutting out decorations for their original structures.

Finally, the moment we’ve been working toward arrives. We position our structures and trees on a larger sheet of

If a completely open-ended crafternoon seems a little daunting, the internet is full of great ideas to get your creative wheels turning. That said, with the right materials at their disposal, your grandchildren might surprise and delight you with their own original ideas.

Beyond the basics like scissors, glue, tape, paint, markers and/or crayons, some of the best crafting materials are the ones you rescue from your recycling bin or wastebasket. Keep a box or two for potential materials: cardboard boxes of various sizes, paper tubes, interesting plastic packaging, greeting cards, scrap fabric, extra buttons, etc.!

Finally, experience has taught me that any activity goes better when I check my expectations and follow my grandchildren’s lead as much as possible. Set parameters for the essentials like safety and healthy behaviour, of course, but do your best to surrender the rest. You never know where your grandchildren’s creativity will take you, but it’s sure to be interesting!

Rachel Dunstan Muller is a children’s author, storyteller, podcaster and grandmother. You can find her podcasts Hintertales: Stories from the Margins of History and Sticks and Stones and Stories through her website at racheldunstanmuller.com

Gone are the days of rocking chairs and recliners. Today’s grandparents are more likely to be rock climbing or going for a run than they are to be rocking or reclining.

We’re an active and diverse group—an engaged, evolving and powerful force. We’re mentors, nurturers, keepers of secrets. We’re caregivers, child care providers, dessert-before-dinner defenders. We’re historians, spiritual guides and the holders of family stories.

GRAND celebrates who you are as a grandparent and who you are as an individual. You love spending time with your grandchildren and you’re happy in your other roles: at work, in the community and on your own. GRAND acknowledges that you are not “one or the other”—an “either/or” version of yourself—you are many different things to many different people. And to yourself.

With an Island perspective that speaks to an international readership, GRAND is the source for on-the-go grandparents of up-to-the-minute and thought-provoking information and ideas—on everything from having fun, staying fit and things to do to travel, leisure, health and technology. Think of GRAND as a trusted friend who happily shares those “senior moments” (in the best sense of the words!) and keeps you informed and connected to the issues and ideas that really matter. After reading an issue of GRAND, you should feel inspired, up-to-date and informed.

We’re here for you: from helping you figure out where you fit in to tackling your most perplexing questions, sharing your greatest discoveries and celebrating your deepest joys.

GRAND features articles on topics ranging from the importance of storytelling, cooking with your grandkids and community superheroes, to photographing your grandkids, gift-giving and grandparenting from afar. There are ideas and inspiration to help keep you in-the-know and connected, there’s a guide to investing in your grandchildren’s future and there’s tech support that will help you face your fears and embrace the cloud.

GRAND is as diverse and engaged as you are. Together, we’re a powerful and positive force—in our grandchildren’s lives and in our communities.