Island Parent Magazine April-May 2022

A P R I L / M AY 2 0 2 2

FREE COPY

Vancouver Island’s Parenting Resource for 34 Years

Learning the Love Languages The ‘Pandemic Effect’ Go Outside!

A Breath of Fresh Air for Families

Bringing Home Twins

AN EXPERIENCE THAT LASTS A LIFETIME! Register for Summer Camp Before May 1st and Save 15%!

Summer Camps for Children, Youth, Families & Leadership • Community & Corporate Retreats •

Registration is open for summer camps and family cabin rentals.

CampPringle.com • 250-743-2189 • info@camppringle.com Want to join our team? Visit our website for info on available staff and volunteer positions.

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Try Canoe-Kayak!

Paddle for fun, fitness and friendships!

Nanaimo Canoe & Kayak Club Building Paddlers for Life since 1988 Located at Loudon Park, Long Lake, NCKC offers diverse paddling opportunities to people of all ages and abilities. As a not-for-profit sport organization, NCKC promotes healthy, active living and offers quality programming focused on sport skill development, water safety, and outdoor recreation.

SPRING PROGRAMS in May and June

SUMMER CAMPS

weekly in July and August for children 6–13yrs • Registration Opens Online May 1 @ 6am • Come learn the ‘FUN’damental paddling skills on Long Lake!

Spend time in a variety of different boats, learn about the sport, practice new strokes, try some rescues, develop balance, boat control and play games on and off the water. Participants must be able to swim 25m with a PFD or be at Swim Kids Level 4.

Adult & Youth Programs Sprint Canoe-Kayak Birthday Parties Development Racing Program Group Sessions School Field Trips Adaptive Programs Ongoing Registration

information@nckc.ca

www.nckc.ca IslandParent.ca

April/May 2022

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In Every Issue

TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S

5

Fast Forward SUE FAST

6

Need to Know

16

Moms’ POV SERENA BECK

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Features 10

Nature Notes LAUREN SHERWOOD

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Bringing Home Twins

The ‘Pandemic Effect’

From the first night to the first month.

NATASHA MILLS

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Befriend the Birds

Has being born during a pandemic affected babies?

Being a good neighbour to backyard birds.

ANYA DUNHAM

LINDSAY COULTER

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Alexa, How Do I Teach My Kids About Money?

The ABCs and 123s of how to talk about money with your kids.

VIVIAN LEUNG

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Scavenger Hunt In the City

Find the items, sing a song, read some books and have fun learning together.

GREATER VICTORIA PUBLIC LIBRARY

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Dadspeak GREG PRATT

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What’s for Dinner EMILLIE PARRISH

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Family Calendar

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12

Kids’ Reads

Learning the Love Languages

CHRISTINE VAN STARKENBURG

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How to create deep connections.

Preschool & Child Care Directory

SARAH SEITZ

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Cut It Out! ALLISON REES

When ‘Good Enough’ Is Just Fine

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Haunted by another mother.

Businesses You Need to Know

JULIA MAIS A P R I L / M AY 2 0 2 2

On the Cover

FREE COPY

Vancouver Island’s Parenting Resource for 34 Years

Learning the Love Languages The ‘Pandemic Effect’ Go Outside!

Matteo (3 months) Photo by Chris Higginbottom Photography chrishigginbottom.ca

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Jim Schneider Publisher publisher@islandparent.ca Sue Fast Editor editor@islandparent.ca Kristine Wickheim Account Manager kristine@islandparent.ca RaeLeigh Buchanan Account Manager raeleigh@islandparent.ca

A Breath of Fresh Air for Families

Bringing Home Twins

Island Parent Magazine

Island Parent Magazine, published by Island Parent Group Enterprises Ltd., is a bimonthly publication that honours and supports parents by providing information on resources and businesses for Vancouver Island families. Views expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher. No material herein may be reproduced without the permission of the publisher. Island Parent is distributed free in selected areas.

Annual mail subscriptions (7 issues) are available for $21 (GST included).

Canadian Publication Mail Product Sales Agreement 40051398. ISSN 0838-5505.

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FA STF O RWA R D

Why We Have Kids

F

ull. Human. Experience.

That’s how one dad, in a post on Humans of New York, described his reason for having kids.

The father of one recalled how he and his wife decided over dinner at a rib joint that they would start a family.

“We actually took out a piece of paper and made a pros and cons list,” he said. At the top of the “pro” list: Full Human Experience.

“After our daughter was born, that became an inside joke with us,” he recalled. “Every time she was screaming at bath time, my wife and I would look at each other and say: ‘Full Human Experience.’”

Those words will mean something different to each of us.

And no doubt we all have our own reasons for having kids.

But chances are, we had no idea how we’d feel until after our baby was born.

Take, for example, the moment they put your baby in your arms. Speak of a full human experience. Nothing compares.

And seeing the world through your child’s eyes? It’s magic.

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Sure, it’s exhausting, too. And if you worried about the cost—in dollars, sanity and hours of sleep—you likely would’ve stopped at “Should we?” But if you didn’t stop there, you’ll know that the highs shadow the lows and the pros definitely outweigh the cons.

“Honestly we wondered if we’d made a mistake—it was like a bomb dropped and eviscerated everything in our lives,” the dad recalled. “But then our daughter started growing up, and learning to do things on her own, and we kept taking small steps back and getting more of our own time back.”

And that was bittersweet.

“It’s like getting laid off slowly from an equally grueling but joyful job.”

Here’s to finding the joy in raising children, to laughing as often as they do—300 times a day for a toddler, and only 4 for a 40-year-old!—and to believing in the magic.

April/May 2022

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N E E DTO KN OW

Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea Treat Mom to a stroll through Butchart Gardens on May 8, followed by afternoon tea in the Dining Room where she’ll be treated to house scones, savoury sandwiches and delicacies, house-made sweets and a selection of loose teas. Reservations recommended. Ask for a seat at the window for a view of the flowering bulbs, shrubs and trees—a celebration of spring and Mom. butchartgardens.com

Family Jam at Hermann’s Jazz Enjoy an afternoon of jazz at Hermann’s Jazz Club in Victoria on April 17 at 1pm and help raise funds for Arts on View at the same time. Lelolai FAM (Family Arts Music) is a family-focused, music-centric project, honouring creativity and inclusivity of people of all ages and cultures. Their original music is a tropical fusion of sound blending Folk, Funk, Jazz and Latin Rhythms in English, Italian and Spanish. Songs like “Big Feelings,” “Wash your Hands” and “Magic Words” will delight your little ones. Special guest appearances include kid artists and the Easter Bunny. Join this interactive and family friendly afternoon of music and fun.

Tickets $10 at hermannsjazz.com.

Brant Wildlife Festival A spring celebration of nature from April 1–10, the Brant Wildlife Festival celebrates nature, springtime and the annual migration of Brant geese. See them rest and feed on the shores of mid-Vancouver Island before continuing their migration to their northern breeding grounds.

This year’s festival features a mix of outdoor and indoor events at various locations. brantfestival.bc.ca

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Island Parent Magazine

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Summer FUN at GNS Glenlyon Norfolk School is offering a variety of fun summer camps for students age 5 to 17. Arts, cooking, baking, field hockey, day camps, kayaking, outdoor education and overnight camps, entrepreneurial camps and more—our summer programs offer something for everyone!

Two Book Launches:

Anne’s Adventure and Fermenting Made Simple Island Parent’s own Kids’ Reads columnist, Christina Van Starkenburg, and What’s for Dinner columnist Emillie Parrish are releasing books in May. Christina is releasing her first picture book, Anne’s Adventure: A Pirate’s ABCs on May 4. Follow Anne, a “fiercely bold pirate” as she sails her way through the alphabet in search of cheese, fending off monsters and cats! A rollicking good read, Anne’s Adventure is available on amazon.ca.

Fermenting Made Simple: Delicious Recipes to Improve Your Gut Health is being released on May 17 and includes everything you need to know to make your own fermented foods and beverages with 80+ entirely vegetarian recipes, tips, tricks and recipes for serving fermented foods. Available at local bookstores and online: fermentingforfoodies.com/cookbook.

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www.mygns.ca/summer-fun IB CONTINUUM CONTINUUM DE L’IB CONTINUO DEL IB

April/May 2022

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Run to Restore Nature A fun, family-friendly event where you can go the distance for wildlife at your own pace from May 7–15. Walk, run, wheel or even skip your way to the finish line from wherever you are.

Do the entire distance in one go or take it one day at a time. The distance is up to you—5km, 10km or half marathon from wherever you are while raising funds to restore and protect vital ecosystems across Canada. To register, visit fundraisers.wwf.ca.

Environmental Champions Nominations are open for the 2022 Saanich Environmental Awards. Some of the categories: individual, volunteer organization, business, and youth (individual/youth group/school). Past recipients have been involved in invasive species removal, environmental education, creating habitat, research, and inspiring others. Business awards are for leadership and practices that promote sustainability and climate action. Nominate anyone as long as their environmental work impacts Saanich. Submit by 4pm on April 19, at saanich.ca/enviroawards.

Sticks and Stones and Stories What could be more exciting than battling pirate weasels, or sailing with the moon, or hosting a tea party for zoo animals?

Add a little wonder to bedtime, car-time or anytime with these fun original podcasts, written and narrated by children’s author Rachel Dunstan Muller. To celebrate the one year anniversary of the children’s podcast, Rachel launched a new website, sticksandstonesandstories.com.

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One Planet Living Student Challenge Grade 6-12 students in Greater Victoria are invited to submit their video or illustration to answer: How might we bring One Planet Living ideas into our communities and personal lives? Pick one or more of the 10 One Planet Living principles and show elements in your communities or personal lives that support One Planet Living. Submit one of the following: • Video—commentary, how-how, song (max. 3 minutes)

• Illustration—map, photo collage, cartoon (1 image) Student submissions will be accepted until May 20.

Winners will receive cash prizes—with $1,200 total prize money available and submissions will be judged on creativity, engagement, illumination and alignment with One Planet Living. Winners will be showcased on the One Planet BC website at oneplanetbc.com.

Preschool for today’s child ...and tomorrow’s inner child.

Young children possess boundless imagination, perfect openness to the world and all its beauty, and the inborn idea that anything is possible. We believe that these wonderful gifts should not fade with age.

With an innovative program enriched by music, dance, theatre and visual arts, our goal is to enable children to fully explore and express these gifts in an endless variety of ways.

Inspiring and nurturing today’s child firmly implants their future inner child – that playfulness, creativity, vision and confidence that will enable them to realize their dreams.

Preschool to Grade 12 IslandParent.ca

www.ArtsCalibre.ca

250-382-3533

“When I examine myself and my method of thought, I come to the conclusion that the gift of fantasy has meant more to me than my talent for absorbing knowledge.”

– Albert Einstein

April/May 2022

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Bringing Home Twins All settled at home 5 days grown.

Liam and Mila are officially back to their birth weight today and have made us so proud as we learn in baby steps how to navigate this new reality together. Despite being more comfortable in our beds, their dad, Mitch, and I barely slept a wink the first night home from the hospital, feeling so overprotective away from the reassuring call bell and medical support.

As new twin parents on that first night, we felt so scrambled trying to understand all that goes into these night feeds and stay on top of every moving part—figuratively and literally! Last night however, was a success story, with a brokenup six hours of sleep for us, great feeding intervals (one three-hour stretch) and I’m feeling like a new woman.

We’ve begun to streamline the process in our bedroom and have transformed it into our Zen sanctuary of comfort, white noise, meditation sounds playing continuously, a mini fridge stocked with water, snacks and room for milk storage. It takes a total team effort to get this job done and I’m so grateful for Mitch being so hands-on and how far we’ve come together already.

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Island Parent Magazine

Through the blur of it all, I am practicing patience and compassion for myself, for my older son Hudson adjusting to the change, and I’m learning to let go of everything out of my control.

No matter how hard the journey gets, I feel complete, knowing that these twins chose me to be their mommy.

Every passing hour we are growing and learning together.

Every feed is a little more successful than the last because we are embracing flexibility. The teamwork I’ve established with their daddy has given me the needed confidence to press on along the unpredictable road ahead. It’s been scary and so very real with emotions running all over the place.

My life is forever changed and I’m navigating a very liberating acceptance with that. I’ll be endlessly grateful for these tiny blessings and for my body for enduring all that it has in creating, delivering and nourishing them.

One month in.

As is the case with newborn parenthood, there often comes a time when the chaos starts catching up with you.

No matter how hard you prepare for it and lower your ex-

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pectations, there it is. Unannounced and loud in your face like a freight train coming at you when you have nothing left.

We’re only one month in with the twins but I met eyes with this place last night. Dad was there to save me. Without a moment to eat my dinner, surround-sound crying started up with Mila and Liam who are needing to cluster feed and be held in the evenings, all while we try to get our sensitive and sweet older boy to bed at a decent hour without him holding a grudge.

Then, one twin won’t settle until the early hours and the whole schedule we’ve strived for all day is thrown off. My brain, already compounded with excessive sleep debt, finally gave up trying to fall into a slumber. I was up until 3am anticipating the next feed, and I felt very scared.

I can’t function when it gets this bad. The morning rolled around and dad took over as best as he could, got Hudson to daycare and I finally settled the twins beside me, breasts painfully engorged, feeling guilty to sleep in with them until nearly 11am. But that’s what I needed to exist today.

And I needed Mitch. I love him and the father he is to our three. I feel so grateful for the team that we have become on this journey. We pull each other’s weight when the other is lower, and so far, it’s been working.

To any moms struggling with this kind of stuff, I see you.

From no support to more support, we’re all fighting a different battle for our little blessings and it’s so important to remember that we’re in this together.

The highs and lows of two newborns with a four-and-ahalf-year-old dynamic is insane. Some days we’re rocking it—or at least it feels like we’re not drowning. We’re loving the novel nuances of having this full, multi-faceted family.

Other days feel like complete and total chaos in that we’re totally outnumbered as parents—by our six-week-old twins revving up equal parts cuteness and inconsolable evenings; and by our Hudson whose whole world flipped upside down, and whose parents are too exhausted to help him turn that world right side up again.

Natasha Mills is a twin mom of three residing on the island now for nearly 30 years. She has found a creative outlet in documenting the real moments of parenthood—the relatable highs and challenging lows. She has also found a passion in writing her experience of motherhood and connecting with many like-minded parents in her community and abroad. @mommamillsblog

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Come Dance With Us Call (250) 384-3267, email: stagesdance@shaw.ca, or visit us at www.stagesdance.com April/May 2022

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Learning the Love Languages W

ouldn’t it be great if kids came with a manual? Imagine the time, money and effort we could save if we had a handy little booklet that contained all of the nuances of your child’s personality.

But our children aren’t refrigerators; there’s no index to flip to when we don’t know what to do next. There are, however, tiny clues. If we’re paying attention.

I’ve always been a snoop, a Nancy Drew of sorts, but I don’t always see what’s right in front of me. One Christmas morning early on in my marriage, my husband and I were arguing as we drove with our two babies to a family dinner. My husband was trying to understand why we had to be at my sister’s house at 10 a.m. if dinner wasn’t until 5 p.m.

It was a fair question, but I’d noticed that anything related to Christmas seemed to change his easygoing demeanor to grumpy.

At that moment, I didn’t really want to understand what was bothering him, I just wanted him to put on a happy face for my family. Using my sophisticated communication skills, I told him, “Cheer up. It’s Christmas, dammit, and Christmas is for kids!”

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Island Parent Magazine

You can imagine how well that worked to improve his mood.

Later, while I complained to my friend about being married to the Grinch, she suggested that perhaps there was something bigger going on. She recommended the book The Five Love Language by Dr. Gary Chapman.

In his book, Dr. Chapman writes about the five different ways that people express and receive love. After years of counselling couples, he noticed that couples were misunderstanding one another and their needs. He determined that we all have our own language, and that sometimes we struggle to express love in a way that speaks to your loved one’s heart.

Chapman’s five Love Languages are: Quality Time, Physical Touch, Words of Affirmation, Acts of Service and Gifts His Love Languages are complex, but I’ll simplify them in a language most parents can understand: Quality Time: Let’s go for coffee.

Physical Touch: Let me wrap my hands around you like a cup of coffee.

Words of Affirmation: You make a great cup of coffee.

Acts of Service: Here’s a cup of coffee in bed.

Gifts: I got you a coffee.

After I read the book, my husband’s foul mood that Christmas started to make sense. I realized that my husband doesn’t like Christmas because he doesn’t like gift-giving, which is often what Christmas centres around. Well, that and unnaturally long family visits.

We took the book’s quiz and learned that his Love Language is Physical Touch mixed in with Quality Time of which there would be neither in the eight hours of family visiting we were about to embark upon that day.

If I didn’t know this about my husband, I was probably stumbling through my relationships with the kids too.

I already knew I was missing the mark with my daughter. For years I have been trying to figure out how to talk with her.

I find small talk awkward and unsatisfying, but often this was all I could get from her. My questions were met with one-word answers. Car rides were silent.

When we went out to dinner at a restaurant, we looked like those bored couples who have been together so long that they have nothing left to discuss.

When I learned that there was a Love Languages book specifically for kids, I

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thought I had finally found the manual I was longing for. The original version had helped my marriage: making dinner, unclogging the shower drain and various other Acts of Service, had proven successful by my husband to make me happier.

Maybe the kids’ version of the book was my shortcut to unlocking the mystery of how to connect with my daughter.

I would be able to take a quiz, figure out what made her tick, and boom—we would be sharing secrets like best friends.

The problem was, the child categories, when viewed from the lens of a parent, didn’t seem as clear. For example, isn’t being a parent one big Act of Service? I’m certainly not cutting off crusts and doing their laundry for my own benefit. As for Gifts, what kid doesn’t love a gift? Just take your kid to Toys ’R Us and you’ll be convinced this is their Love Language.

My kids get ample Words of Affirmation, Quality Time (this especially peaked during Covid) and Physical Touch.

What was clear was that my attempts to connect with my daughter through conversation were not working. I decided to take the emphasis off of talking and instead focus on when my daughter was trying to connect with me.

She often asks me to play Rummy, to draw with her or play with Lego, but I never thought of these activities as a connection because we weren’t talking. I noticed that when we were side by side, playing calmly and quietly, a softness existed. Quality Time, sometimes wordless, was where our closeness lived.

I’ve always assumed that connection came from communication and how much we “talk” in our relationships because that comes easily to me. I’m learning that it’s more about how we relate to one another in our relationships that creates the deep connection I seek.

There may be no troubleshooting chart for children or a manual for how to love other people. But, if we pay attention, there are clues.

Sarah Seitz is a working mother, writer and consumer of coffee and books—in that order. She writes about the messy and real parts of parenting and reveals her underbelly in her words. You can read more of Sarah’s writing at sarahseitz.ca.

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Have you ever wondered about the future and gifts promotes being kids summer! whatYou it might bring tokids families withthis family members with a disability? You can make a difference by https://cocf.ca/get-involved/donations/ designating Community Options for Children and Families as your charity of choice when considering leaving a gift through your will or any other gift planning instrument (gifts of stock). Community Options has supported thousands of families in the community over the past 30+ years— supports quality summer programming with children supporting a better quality offor lifefamilies for families facing disabilities within your community. on Southern Vancouver Island.

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April/May 2022

13

BYTE

CAMP

Creative Tech a mp s S u mm e r C

When ‘Good Enough’ Is Just Fine S

ome days, I am haunted by another mother who follows me around all day. She is there as I struggle to get my daughter’s pants on in the morning. She is there when we’re late for daycare— again. She is there when I see the other mothers in management positions, when I pack my daughter’s lunch and wonder whether my chopped carrots, peanut butter sandwich and Babybell cheese will make her feel as loved as the other kids’ seven-course Yumbox meal with kiwi fruit cut into stars.

when I look at my cluttered living room and cower in defeat.

She is the mom at baby-and-me yoga who could maintain a squat while breastfeeding her baby. She is my friend who describes her meal plan of dahl, vegetarian lasagna and squash and barley chili.

She is the woman with the UPPAbaby stroller and contoured cheeks I pass at lunch break. She is my colleague who said her body “just knew what to do” when she was pregnant. She is the mom who offered to hold my baby while she

She is there when I go to the bathroom and notice the indent on my stomach from my too-tight Lulus. She is there when I forget to bring snacks to the playground. She is there when I thought I had a change of clothing in the diaper bag. She is there when we’re at a restaurant without a colouring book, when my daughter kicks at the plexiglass dividers at the restaurant while the couple next to us enjoy their Roti Chanai. She is there

cried at mom group because she knew a trick. She is the mom at music class in designer jeans and a leotard that doesn’t need to stretch at all. She is the YouTuber who described breastfeeding in three easy steps while her other children played contentedly in the background. She is the therapist with 7,000 Instagram followers who has “hacks” for mastering maternity leave. She’s all the other moms who were ready to have another child already while I was drowning.

Video Game Design 3D Animation Claymation App Design 2D Animation Music and Video Production

1-888-808-BYTE www.bytecamp.ca

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All the women who have come before me haunt me on my bad days. A neverending narration of Alyssa’s Christmas tree is already up, Mariam works out every day before work, Would Elizabeth ’s living room ever look like this? Kristin’s daughter can spell her name already.

Isabel would never have logged onto Oak Bay Rec’s online registration 15 minutes late and doomed her daughter to six months without swimming lessons.

Then other days, my daughter sings while we make pancakes with plenty of time before ballet class. She hugs me and says “I like you and I love you.” She never asks for a sibling. She tells me she likes my “cookie earrings” and could I please wear my “tutu” and dance with her. I put on my flowy skirt, she puts on her purple polka dot tutu and we have a dance party before bath time. Other days, she asks me to read Sasha and the Sloth over and over again and I pat myself on the back that my daughter gets so many books read to

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her. And how she’s learning math already.

Most days, she tells me that the loves me to the moon. Other days she loves me to White Spot. Other days to “the great big city of Canada.”

It is these times—the times when things are going well and I am truly in it with my daughter—that all the other ghosts of the mom I’ll never be disappear. I remember that my daughter doesn’t care if I can hold plank for two minutes or where I am on the career ladder. She doesn’t remember our breastfeeding struggles and the permanent scowl she wore until she was six-months old. She likes peanut butter sandwiches and considers their daily occurrence a treat not a failure. Our living room is messy because she has so many toys and because I’d rather cuddle with her than stress over cleaning up. She is healthy. When she jumps on the rainbow sheets on her bed, I smile to myself and marvel at how I never thought I’d have such a fun daughter with such a nice bedroom and I never knew how elated

I’d feel when she jumps off the bed and into my arms.

Most days before bed, after a bath and two books and setting the Gro clock, we list three “good things” that happened during the day. I say I enjoyed having dinner together, that I enjoyed our dance party and I’m thankful for a job that lets me work from home. My husband says he liked signing Radio Gaga on the way back from daycare and that he liked talking to his “work friends.” My daughter just says, “I had good feelings today.”

She asks me to lie with her till the sun comes up and with that, I put my ghosts to sleep.

Julie Mais is a policy and communications professional in Victoria. She looks for beauty in the everyday through writing, photography and the outdoors. She lives in a messy, cheesefilled home with her husband and preschooler.

April/May 2022

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M O M ’ S P OV

We’re that House

“W

hose cat is that?” asks my daughter’s friend’s mom as a cat darts through our open front door.

“That’s Thomas, our friend’s cat,” I reply.

“Wow, so not only do you take in everyone’s kids, but their pets, too?” she says.

I smile and reply that this cat is not the first cat to frequent our house. Charlie was before Thomas until he moved out of the neighbourhood with his family. Both of these cats enjoy visiting us through our cat door. Initially, our cat, Jack, did not appreciate all the feline guests, but just as our introvert daughter gets used to guests, so did our cat. Our family does enjoy our loaner cats. We always let the cat owners know when their cats are having a sleepover or a snack at our house, too.

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Our open-door policy doesn’t stop at pets. It includes humans, too. I want our children and their friends to feel welcome and safe at our house. We’re that house: the house where all the kids hang out. We’re that family that you can count on for help, a meal, or a shoulder to cry on. When parents are running late after school, they can pick up their kids at our house. It’s convenient that we are steps from our school and often home after school.

I’ve often been asked if I run a daycare. I’ve also been asked on numerous occasions to provide before- and afterschool care for children. I can see why people would ask this as I often pick up my own kids and three or four of their friends after school. We have watched a few of our friends’ children for one or two days a week after school. Even when our kids no longer attend the elementary school that is steps

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from our door, I am confident we’ll still be the house where they hang out the most often.

My son sometimes asks why we always have to be that house and have everyone over. He prefers to branch out and go to other people’s houses, too. Although, he’s just happy to socialize anywhere. I think it comes down to many factors. I am glad adults, kids, and pets feel comfortable in our home. I leave our children and their friends to their own devices during their playdates, but I am around to fix snacks and help reach compromises when there are disagreements.

I think our availability, willingness, and love of entertaining also helps. I enjoy the sound of kids being kids, running through our house and playing hide and seek together. The fact that my husband and I both work from home and can adjust our work hours throughout the week helps us with our frequent playdates. It’s nice to know what your kids are up to and to be able to keep an eye on them, too.

I believe our open door and open communication with our children and their friends will help them communicate openly with all their parents as they reach the ’tween and teen years. I remember sitting up at sleepover with my daughter’s friend when she couldn’t sleep because she was worried.

Sometimes it’s challenging to know what your own kids need let alone another family’s child, but we’ve managed to make it through.

I love that our home is that house. We feel connected to our community and our neighbourhood. I love that our kids can play outside and walk across the street to see if our neighbours’ kids want to go to the park. My parents’ house was also that house while I was growing up. Some of my brother’s friends lived with us while they were in high school. We would often have our friends over for supper or sleepovers, too. I guess it really stems from my roots and the foundation my parents set for me. I enjoyed it when our neighbour’s son came up to me afters chool and said: “If my Grandma is not home in time, my mom said my brother and I can go to your house. Is that okay? Are you home?” I replied “Of course! Any time.”

Serena Beck works full-time as a Technical Writer. She loves to write, travel and swim at the beach with family and friends.

IslandParent.ca

April/May 2022

17

N ATU R E N OTES

A Breath of Fresh Air for Families

A

hh…spring…blue skies, bees buzzing, birds calling….one of the best times for families to head outside to parks. A change of scenery can be a much-needed breath of fresh air. But

Why to go:

No matter your age, spending time in nature has mental and physical benefits.

You can walk, hike, run, bike, or roll your way along designated trails in parks

wren singing in the bushes or a river otter playing on the beach. You can build memories for the whole family while out in nature.

How to have a great time:

Being prepared to head outside is the first step to having a great time. Here are some quick tips: • Dress in layers and keep a blanket handy in case the weather cools.

•Bring a hat or umbrella to provide shade.

• Carry a daypack with the essentials, such as water, snacks, whistle, flashlight, and raingear.

• Plan your trip and know where you are going—bring a map in case your cell phone battery dies.

• For more tips, check out AdventureSmart.ca or the Capital Regional District’s website (crd.bc.ca).

What to do:

Even young babies can enjoy being outside. Here are some ideas for activities for the youngest members of your family: • When out with your stroller, sling, or carrier, narrate your walk on the trail.

Pick up leaves from the ground and let your baby feel them.

• Lay on the grass and point out the different sights and sounds. Bring a book and have story time with a picnic.

•If the baby is old enough to sit up and crawl, explore with them in a safe area such as a large field or beach in a park.

• Have your baby feel items in nature like leaves, bark, moss, lichen, sand, and dirt. Talk about the differences in texture—soft, hard, rough, dry, wet, etc.

Watch that your baby doesn’t eat anything!

• Inspire care for nature by leaving plants in parks and observing animals from a distance. why is it so important for us to spend time in nature? How can you be safe and have a great time? We have some answers!

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Island Parent Magazine

all over Vancouver Island. It can feel daunting to get kids ready and gather everything you and your family might need for time outside, but it is well worth it. You never know what you might see or hear out in parks—perhaps a Pacific

Where to go:

Check out which parks are in walking distance from your home. Find out if there’s a nature centre in your area where your family can learn more about the plants and animals. You can also look online for local hiking groups for IslandParent.ca

families. If you’re in the Capital Regional District, CRD Regional Parks offers free registered guided programs for all ages, including some five years and under specific programs.

Some CRD Regional Parks with user and stroller-friendly trails are: • Francis/King Regional Park—the universally accessible Elsie King Trail is a short loop trail that meanders through Douglas-fir and Garry oak trees providing a shaded forest cover. Listen for the sounds of Pacific tree frogs calling. You can also visit the nature centre on weekend afternoons.

• Island View Beach Regional Park— the user-friendly trail parallel to the beach offers prime birding opportunities with shorebirds in the ocean and songbirds in the bush.

• East Sooke Regional Park—from Aylard Farms parking lot to just above the beach is a user-friendly trail with easy access to a picnic shelter and field area.

Or leave your stroller in the car and head down to the beach for some sand castle building.

No matter your age, being outdoors brings numerous benefits and builds our connection to nature. Children are full of curiosity and parents and caregivers shape how children will interact with nature throughout their lives. By modelling respectful behaviour in parks—like staying on trail, keeping dogs on leash or under control, and leaving things you find where they are—adults can show children from a very young age how to care for nature. Instill a sense of wonder with excitement and stories, inspire a sense of care with kindness and compassion and we will have a future generation that values and protects the natural world.

Lauren Sherwood is a Parks Naturalist with the Capital Regional District. She enjoys being out in nature with family and friends of all ages, rain or shine. For more information about Regional Parks programs visit crd.bc.ca/park-events.

IslandParent.ca

Learn a new sport or refine your skills: come join our rock climbing teams!

Registration for recreational and competitive teams open now.

All levels welcome!

Ages 6–18.

Details and registration at climbtheboulders.com

The Boulders Climbing Gym 1627 Stelly’s Cross Road | Saanichton, BC | 250.544.0310

Be on the lookout for Island Parent’s

Family Fun Guide Your guide for Attractions, Activities and Family Fun IslandParent.ca April/May 2022

19

The ‘Pandemic Effect’

M

y youngest was born in the summer of 2020. He hasn’t yet met his extended family or left Vancouver Island; he has never seen his pediatrician without a mask or visited a play group. He is our pandemic baby. Like other parents, I wondered if being born into the pandemic could affect early development, so I turned to science for answers.

The pandemic has affected everyone but, although we are all in the same storm, we are in different boats. The toll

they learned previously. For example, by about 5 months babies learn that dropped objects fall down, so a floating balloon is likely to surprise them.

Fortunately, your home environment provides many opportunities for seeing patterns and noticing new things. It’s perfect, actually. Your baby can learn about physics (“My ducky floats in the water… but this heavy spoon from the kitchen does not”), emotions (“When my brother cries he is usually sad…and sometimes

I believe such conclusions are premature. Babies were tested in the lab by a stranger wearing a face covering; I imagine some pandemic-born babies may have felt in this environment what you and I would feel if we were abducted by aliens.

(I don’t think I would perform my best on an IQ test from an alien spaceship!).

And other babies might have struggled to concentrate on tasks the researchers were asking them to do because the lab environment was so novel and interesting

on health, finances, medical care and available support has been much greater for some families than others, and its effects on babies, direct and indirect, are challenging to measure. So I chose to focus on one aspect: reduced interactions with the outside world. Will our pandemic babies be disadvantaged? Will their cognitive or social-emotional development be affected?

frustrated”) and relationships between people (“When I smile, daddy smiles back…but not if he’s looking away”).

And novelty? Well, everything is new to babies, so they see plenty of surprises even in the calmest of homes. In fact, a calm, consistent home environment helps babies stay rested and protects them from overstimulation which, in turn, helps learning: it’s easier for a well-rested baby to notice new things and, when he goes to sleep, to integrate experiences into memory. Being at home more may help babies learn.

But you might have heard of a recent study led by Dr. Sean Deoni, in which babies born during the pandemic showed a significant reduction in scores on cognitive development tests. The Guardian reported that pandemic babies had “shockingly low” scores, at levels not typically seen outside of major cognitive disorders. This is concerning. However,

to them. Without measures of cognitive development taken in babies’ homes we cannot draw definitive conclusions from this study.

Cognitive development

During the first year, babies gradually get better at gathering and organizing information, remembering, problem solving and predicting events. Did you know babies use universal learning methods that resemble scientific research? Their brains constantly look for patterns in the world around them, making mental maps: “When I see this happen, I can expect that.” They also look for surprise events that don’t fit into patterns 20

Island Parent Magazine

Social-emotional development

In supportive environments babies get better and better at communicating their needs and feelings, understanding emotions and carrying forward a sense of competence and trust.

Our babies are born capable and aware. Newborns can already tell if someone is looking at them or away from them. One-month-olds perceive facial expressions: when a parent assumes a sombre face showing no emotion, baby’s heart activity changes in a distinct way that indicates distress and active coping.

By six months babies learn to anticipate actions they see and experience regularly and can even recognize whether behaviours of others are helpful or unhelpful.

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What babies accomplish in their first year—how much they learn and change—is truly astounding. We, parents and caregivers, can do a lot to support their social-emotional development. But science suggests that diverse interactions with the outside world are not critical.

According to the theory of attachment, most important for healthy social-emotional development is a close, committed relationship with one or more adults. One or more. It is, of course, wonderful for a baby to be part of a loving community, but not having that during the first year still allows for secure attachment.

What about mask-wearing? Having been surrounded by people in masks, could our babies have trouble connecting with others? A recent study by Dr. Ed Tronick and Nancy Snidman suggests that babies don’t mind when mom puts on a mask. Dr. Tronick is widely known for the Still Face Experiment: when moms stopped mid-play and assumed an unemotional “still” face, babies showed surprise followed by distress. Did mask wearing result in a similar response?

Happily, the researchers found it doesn’t.

Almost all babies reacted in some way to their mom putting a mask on and taking it off, but mask wearing did not disrupt their ongoing interaction. As Dr. Alison Gopnik wrote in her analysis of this study, “Babies can look through the masks and just see the love underneath.”

Our son is now 19 months old. Has he done and seen less than his sisters by this age? Yes. Do I wish he got to spend time with our extended family? Yes, absolutely. But he got to do more in other ways: he snuggled with his working-at-home dad more; he saw his sisters giggle (and squabble) more; he explored every inch of our small backyard at his own pace; his sleeping and eating habits developed against the backdrop of the slow, predictable days at home. I can’t wait for him to experience more of the world. For now, I trust that he will be okay.

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Anya Dunham is a research scientist with a PhD in Biology, a mom of three young children, and the author of a parenting book, Baby Ecology (Encradled Press, Jan 2022).

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April/May 2022

21

DA D S PE A K

A Meconium Congratulations

G

ood friends of mine told me the other day that they are having a baby. It’s amazing, hearing that news and seeing their excitement. I was still thinking about it that evening when I was changing a diaper and accidentally thrust my fingers into a mound of soft excrement.

“Congrats, me,” I muttered to myself as I stared at my fingers, coated in what no human’s fingers should ever be coated in.

It made me think I needed to warn my friends about the meconium poop. You know the one, the black ooze that your baby births not long after they’ve been birthed, the alien horror that can give heart attacks if arrived unannounced.

Changing that diaper, I stopped and stared off into space for a minute, toddler staring at me confused, wondering what I was doing with fingers covered in poo and staring blankly at the wall, but truth be told by that point, I was wondering if my friends were going to use cloth or disposable diapers and wondering if we have old cloth ones we can give them.

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Island Parent Magazine

Poop slowly hardening on my fingers, I snapped out of it and tried to remember what was safer: leaving the kid on the bed and washing my hand (risk: him falling off the bed; reward: poo off fingers faster) or finish changing kid and then wash my hand (risk: good god man; reward: toddler lives to terrorize another day). Always one to make a half-assed decision that is somehow the worst of all worlds, I kinda literally popped half of my body into the neighbouring bathroom, while keeping one of my feet in the bedroom, as if prepping to steal a base, when really I’m just prepping excuses in my head as to how he fell off the bed that didn’t involve the phrase “wanted to get poo off my fingers.”

So, I kinda washed my fingers too quickly, if we’re being honest here, so I could whip the top half of my body back in the room as if none of this ever happened. Of course, I snapped my torso around so fast it felt like Andre the Giant had grabbed my skull and smashed it against the wall, which happens, because I forgot the wall was there because there was poo, and also there was a toddler in a maybe-precarious position.

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I tried not to swear, but probably did, re-adjusted my glasses, remembered the poo even though it was history, whipped my hand away from my face, and looked at my kid, who was just staring at me, not having moved an inch throughout the whole ordeal. I laughed like a complete maniac for no reason, then went blank as I caught sight of and stared at the crib next to our bed, the crib that these days gets used as...well, nothing, actually. It’s just been sitting there forever.

Yeah, we’ve had that crib for a long time, so long that parts of it may no longer be legal to sell in Canada, so I started wondering about things like expiration dates on car seats and I wondered if there’s some weird underground black market for parents for stuff like this, but I really don’t want to know. I’ve already told my friend that car seats expire, a bizarre fact he was unaware of, but isn’t parenting in 2022 full of bizarre facts we were all previously unaware of?

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But the poo on the fingers, man, that goes back. Since the dawn of time, parents have accidentally rammed their fingers into piles of poo, and the sensation never fails to horrify me.

It’s a horrifying, horrifying thing that no one ever warned me about. There absolutely will come a time when there is poo under your fingernails and you have to work to get it out.

Oh man, I didn’t check under my fingernails.

Uh, anyway, all of which is to say, congrats, you two. And watch out for that meconium poop.

Greg Pratt is the father of three children and a local journalist and editor. His writing has appeared in, among other places, Today’s Parent, Decibel and Douglas. He is @gregprattwriter on Twitter.

April/May 2022

23

W H AT’ SF O R D I N N E R

Make Ahead Healthy Snacks

I

t’s not always easy to eat healthy when you’re busy. Sometimes you just don’t have the time to whip up a healthy snack or even chop some vegetables. And when your kids are hungry, then they need food right away. Asking them to wait just doesn’t work.

The secret to healthy eating in a hurry is to always have a few healthy snacks on hand!

Here’s a few reasons why it’s worth stashing some healthy homemade snacks in your fridge, freezer and cupboards: • If you make it yourself, you get to control the amount of sugar and salt.

• Homemade food is usually preservative free compared to their commercial counterparts.

• The packaging on commercial snacks just adds up in the landfill, whereas homemade snacks are zero-waste!

• It’s also a lot more affordable to make your own snacks.

Coconut Almond Energy Balls (Prep Time 15 minutes) These energy balls were a treat that my mom made when I was growing up. We always had them to take on camping trips or for long walks. They are full of healthy, sustaining energy. Have your children help roll the balls and coat them in whatever topping they want.

1 cup of Medjool dates, pits removed 1 cup of unsweetened coconut flakes 1 cup of almonds 2 Tbsp of cocoa powder 1⁄2 tsp vanilla Pinch of salt Toppings: flaked coconut, slivered almonds, cocoa powder 1. Mix all of the ingredients in a food processor. If you don’t have a food processor, you can use a blender. Just keep scraping all the ingredients down so they get finely chopped.

2. Once everything has been mixed into a smooth paste, scrape it into a bowl and place it in the fridge for about 20 minutes.

3. Remove from the fridge. Using a teaspoon, grab a spoonful of the energy ball mix, then roll it into a small ball. (This is a great time to get your kids to help out).

4. Then roll the ball in one of the toppings and set aside while you finish with the rest of the mix. You should have between 10–20 balls, depending on how large you make them.

5. Store in the fridge until you’re ready to enjoy them. They should last for at least a month.

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Ranch Flavoured Microwave Popcorn (Cook Time 3 to 5 minutes) Did you know that you can make popcorn in a glass bowl in the microwave? You don’t need to spend money on wasteful and expensive packaged microwave popcorn. Just invest in a large bag of popcorn kernels!

Microwave popcorn is a quick after school snack. Or you can pop a large batch and store it in an air-tight container in the cupboard. It should stay fresh for up to a week.

1⁄2 cup of popcorn 1⁄2 cup of butter

kernels or oil (I usually do a 50/50 mix) 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp onion powder 1 tsp dried dill 1⁄2 tsp salt, to taste 1. Add the popcorn kernels to a large glass bowl and top with a dinner plate.

2. Microwave for 3 to 5 minutes, until most of the popcorn is popped.

The exact timing will depend on the wattage of your microwave.

3. Use oven mitts to remove the bowl, it will be very hot.

4. Melt the butter in a small bowl. It will take about 20 to 40 seconds in the microwave.

5. Drizzle the butter and/or oil over the popped corn. Then sprinkle on the seasonings. Toss to fully mix the seasonings. And enjoy!

6. Ranch is our favourite flavour, but feel free to experiment with other flavour options.

IslandParent.ca

SKAM SUMMER CAMPS ARE BACK ULAR DEMAND

BY POP

Grab and Go Vegetables (Prep Time 15 minutes) When my kids were young, my husband and I used to prepare a big bag of mixed vegetables. It was chopped up and ready in the fridge whenever we needed a snack. Now that my kids are older, they are responsible for preparing the grab and go vegetables.

Wondering at what age you can get your kids chopping vegetables?

I recommend starting early. My daughter was helping with her school lunch right from kindergarten. Though she still can’t chop carrots, she’s used to the expectation that she’s going to help out. So eventually, she’ll be able to prepare the grab and go vegetables all on her own.

The secret to these make ahead vegetables is the seasoning! They won’t dry out and curl up at the edges like typical vegetable sticks.

They’re also flavourful enough that they don’t need a dip! How easy is that?

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Carrots Celery Small head of cauliflower and/or broccoli Mushrooms Coloured peppers Green beans and peas 1⁄2 tsp salt and pepper, to taste 1 bunch of fresh herbs 1. Wash and slice your favourite snack vegetables. I recommend a mix of whatever is seasonal. However, cucumbers don’t hold up well to being prepared in advance. So don’t include those in your mix.

2. Lightly season the vegetables with salt and pepper, to taste. Place the vegetables in a large zip-top bag or a container with a lid.

3. Wash and dry the herbs. Then scrunch them up and put them on top of the vegetables. They are just there to infuse the vegetables with flavour, so remove before serving. I recommend mint and basil; parsley and chives; or whatever you have that’s handy.

4. Store the vegetables in the fridge and enjoy within 3–4 days.

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

IslandParent.ca

April/May 2022

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APRIL/MAYFAMILYCALENDAR V P W

For more information and calendar updates throughout the month visit IslandParent.ca

Victoria & Area Peninsula Westshore

CV N CX

Cowichan Valley Nanaimo & Area Comox Valley

PR G O

Pacific Rim Gulf Islands Online

APRIL

9 SATURDAY

1 FRIDAY TO 9 SATURDAY Spring Break Physical Literacy Passport Challenge

N Penny Pom Pom

Upload your passport or drop off at either Ravensong Aquatic Centre or Oceanside Place Arena by Sunday April 10. rdn.bc.ca/recreation

2 SATURDAY AGGV Public Open House

V

10am–5pm, Art Gallery of Greater Victoria Drop by the opening of Reverberations and enjoy a free day at the Gallery. aggv.ca/events

Monthly Clothing Swap 10am–1pm, Fairfield Gonzales Community Association fairfieldcommunity.ca/clothing-swap

5 TUESDAY

17 SUNDAY N AGGV Family Sundays

1pm, VIU Malaspina Theatre Meet Penny Pom Pom, a colourful ball of energy who embodies creative confidence and artistic freedom. Her multi-media show for young children is colourful, musical and interactive and focuses on the importance of creativity and selfempowerment. theatreone.ca

16 SATURDAY Easter Eggstravaganza

9:30–11:30am, Oaklands Community Association V Drop by for a morning of crafts, egg hunting, petting goats and more! Two time slots, 9:30– 10:30am and 10:30–11:30am. Tickets at OCA. oaklands.life/oca-events

Daniel Lapp’s Joy of Life Concert

V

2–4pm Art Gallery of Greater Victoria An afternoon of exploring hands-on art-making ideas for all ages. aggv.ca/events

22 FRIDAY Earth Day

In addition to raising awareness of environmental issues among citizens and organizations across the country, this campaign aims to encourage as V many people as possible to take action. earthday.ca

V

7:30–9:30pm, Alix Goolden Hall AGGV Admission by Donation V This Victoria event has a 20+ history celebrating 10am–5pm, Art Gallery of Greater Victoria the best the city has to offer in toe-tapping folk, The first Tuesday of the month is always admisfiddle and jazz music. sion by donation—all day long. vcm.bc.ca/programs/joy-of-life-choir aggv.ca/events

30 SATURDAY Wigglers at Work

V

10–11am, The Compost Education Centre Parent-child workshop on red wiggler worms.

Learn what goes into compost and get a chance to hold some live worms. compost.bc.ca

MAY

1 SUNDAY Annual Spring Fling

CV

1–3pm, Bowser Legion Food, fashion, a silent auction and games, including a balloon pop.

250-738-0822 26

Island Parent Magazine

IslandParent.ca

Milner Gardens’ Spring Plant Sale

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11am–4pm Vancouver Island University’s Milner Gardens features great discounts on heritage trees, shrubs and perennials. milnergardens.viu.ca

2 MONDAY YES 2022 BioBlitz

N

Yellow Point Ecological Society’s 2nd annual BioBlitz is an “intense community engagement” to help identify as many species as possible in a designated area. Family friendly and lots of fun. yellowpointecologicalsociety.ca

7 SATURDAY James Bay Community Market

V

9am–3pm, Saturdays, Superior and Menzies Streets This vibrant community market features fresh local produce and farm goods, artisan crafts and ready-to-eat foods. jamesbaymarket.com

23 MONDAY Victoria Day Parade

V

9am–noon, downtown Victoria This free family event features entertainment, performances, building an awareness of our diverse cultures, creating safe, inclusive opportunities for everyone to participate. gvfs.ca

N

1pm, VIU Malaspina Theatre Eight-year-old Kellie doesn’t feel like she fits in at school until she receives a birthday gift who can talk on their own. Kellie meets Magrau, a chatty confident bird puppet who has a flair for singing, dancing, and making people laugh. theatreone.ca IslandParent.ca

ADVENTURE CENTRE

OPEN FOR BOOKING!

Canoeing Adventures

28 SATURDAY Kellie Haines: A Birdy Told Me

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Youth Programs

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Book online or contact us by email or phone (minimum 24 hrs ahead).

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Wildlife Tours

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cowichanbaykayaking.com 250-597-3031 info@cowichanbaykayaking.com April/May 2022

27

K I DS ’ R E A DS

Tourist in Your Own Town

W

hen you grow up in a city, or if you’ve lived there for a while, it can be easy to forget about all of the exciting things people want to come and see.

After all, the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea is always there.

You could go almost any day of the week (just don’t pick Wednesday). Or you might drive passed the Hatley Park Gardens every day during your commute, so they no longer seem so spectacular. But this summer, why not try to rekindle the excitement we feel for our own towns and become tourists in our own backyards, so to speak. I can even suggest some books that will teach you about the animals around us and give some suggestions on how you can remember and treasure the little adventures you go on.

Let’s start with The Collectors by Alice Feagan (Kids Can Press, 2021). Winslow and Rosie love to collect natural wonders and display them in their tree house on the edge of the forest. Each item has a story that is carefully catalogued

by Rosie in her field journal. But now, their treehouse is so full they only have one spot left. Rosie and Winslow set out to try and find something amazing to go there. While you’re learning about the items they collect, maybe you’ll get some ideas about items you can collect as well. For ages 4 to 8.

Maybe while you’re exploring you can convince your child to use their ears to see if they can hear any bees buzzing or birds singing. And then, you can read Sounds All Around: The Science of How Sound Works by Susan Hughes and illustrated by Ellen Rooney (Kids Can Press, 2021) to talk about how we hear sounds and how animals hear sounds.

For example, did you know elephants hear through their feet? For ages 6 to 12.

If your children love the water and want to learn about some of the sea creatures that live in the area, there are several books by local authors that can help. Dive into Colours

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by Ann Donahue is a great first book about sea creatures for children ages 3 to 5 and her second book Reef Creatures: Weird and Wonderful has almost every possible answer to every question your 6- to 12-year-olds can think about for sea creatures that call reefs their home.

And if your intrepid reader is concerned about the lack of orca information in Donahue’s books, there is always Orca’s Everywhere: The Mystery and History of Killer Whales by local author Mark Leiren-Young (Orca Publishing, 2019), which is full of information for preteens. For ages 10 to 14.

If you’re not exactly sure what sorts of information you should record on your walk through the lagoon or along one of the other beaches around here, Beach Walk which was edited by Deanna F. Cook and Lisa H. Hiley (Storey Publishing, 2019) has you covered. The book comes with a magnifying glass, stickers, information about different sea creatures and plants and a beach log to record your findings.

Let this book help you kindle your child’s inner explorer and

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help them find ways to connect with the ocean around us this summer. For ages 4 to 8.

Or maybe you and your children aren’t so scientifically inclined and the idea of cataloguing what you see, hear and smell doesn’t sound so appealing. Then perhaps you can follow the lead of the child in Poem in My Pocket by Chris Tougas and illustrated by Josée Bisaillon (Kids Can Press, 2021) and create a found poem from all the words you see fluttering in the breeze. For ages 6 to 12.

I hope these books give you and your children some ideas for how they can explore their own neighbourhoods and local beaches this summer.

Christina Van Starkenburg lives in Victoria with her husband, children and cat.

She is the author of One Tiny Turtle: A Story You Can Colour and many articles. To read more of her work and learn about her upcoming books visit christinavanstarkenburg.com. Facebook: facebook.com/christinavanstarkenburg and Twitter: @Christina_VanS.

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Connect your family to the world.

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April/May 2022

29

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Licensed non-profit, ECE staff. Since 1958.

Morning or full-time care. castleviewchildcarecentre.com

Christ Church Cathedral Childcare & Jr. Kindergarten..................250-383-5132 ECE and specialist teachers provide an outstanding all day licensed program for 2.5–5 year olds at our Fairfield and Gordon Head locations. cathedralschool.ca

Nightingale Preschool & Junior Kindergarten Ltd........ 250-595-7544 We offer education through creativity and play, providing rich learning experiences through a well sourced and stimulating indoor and outdoor environment. Early years reading programme. nightingalepreschool.com.

Arts/Drama programme. kidsworks.ca

Emmanuel Baptist Church Child Care

Pre-School

We offer all-day Day Care for 3 and 4 year olds.

We also offer an After School Care Program for Kindergarten to 12 years old for Campus View and Frank Hobbs.

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2121 Cedar Hill X Rd (by entrance to UVic)

daycare@emmanuelvictoria.ca afterschool@emmanuelvictoria.ca

Junior Kindergarten PacificChristian.ca 250-479-4532 Educational Excellence to the Glory of God

Rainbows & Dreams Preschool

Offering small classes, creative 3–5 year and kindie programs. Safe, fun, nurturing environment to learn and grow.

250-479-1966 4184 Keewatin Place, Victoria Ready Set Grow Preschool.....250-472-1530 Join our learning through play preschool located in Hillcrest Elem. Our caring ECEs offer an enriched Program for 3-4 hour, 2-5 days a week and help with kindergarten transition. heoscmanager@gmail.com

St. Christopher’s Montessori School Offering an enriched and nurturing Montessori programme Competitively priced independent school education Half day for 3 & 4 year olds Full day kindergarten stcmontessori.ca 250-595-3213

Call your local CCRR for free referrals and resources.

Victoria & Gulf Islands: 250-382-7000 Sooke: 250-642-5152 West Shore: 250-940-4882 Cowichan Valley: 250-746-4135 local 231 PacificCare (Ladysmith north): 250-756-2022 or 1-888-480-2273

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IslandParent.ca

Victoria & Area

Peninsula

Westshore

Cowichan Valley

wild child

early learning centre

• Licensed program for 3–5 year olds • Nature focused • 3 hour morning classes

Exciting new learn-throughplay program in Saanichton, ideal for Peninsula families

www.wcelc.ca

Nanaimo & Area

• Licensed programs, for children 3–5 years • Flexible part-time schedules • Supported spaces available • 3 and 4 hour morning classes Encouraging your child’s development and learning through play and exploration

Fullobeans.ca 250-360-1148 E: fullobeans@snplace.org

Metchosin Co-Op Preschool A Co-operative preschool in the heart of rural Metchosin.

The best place to be.

Take a virtual tour today!

Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12

metchosinpreschool.com

Learn more today! 250-390-2201 AspengroveSchool.ca N A N A I M O’ S J K–1 2 I N T E R N AT I O N A L B AC C A L AU R E AT E WO R L D S C H O O L

250-478-9241 metchosinpreschool@gmail.com

St. Margaret’s School Jr. Kindergarten Apply now for our Early Learning (JK and Kindergarten) Programs. Early learning at SMS is a curriculum-based program for 3 and 4 year olds.

St. Margaret’s School 250-479-7171 | admissions@stmarg.ca

SEEDLINGS Forest Education

Where nature becomes the Teacher!

Seedlings Forest Education is a Nature based program that includes After School Care, Nature Preschool, Parent Workshops, Saturday Seedlings, Summer Camps and more!

250-880-0660 seedlingsforesteducation.com

Nestled on 4 acres of lush west coast forest, our Award winning, Nature based program will not disappoint!

While firmly embracing the Reggio-Emila (Italy) Philosophy our dedicated team of educators use the environment as the third teacher as we encourage your child throughout their day.

Our purpose built facilities have been handmade using the trees from our forest. Come take a virtual tour on our website!

lexieslittlebears.ca

Waitlist: 250-590-3603 Programs for Infants/Toddlers/Pre-school Age. BC Award of Excellence in Childcare & Prime Minister’s Award of Excellence in Early Childhood Education.

IslandParent.ca

April/May 2022

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Alexa, How Do I Teach My Kids About Money?

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omething’s in the air and it’s not just the silent alarm of a much-needed diaper change. While you and your other half grapple with who’s taking the night shift and who gets some extra shut-eye, a conversation about money will feel like your last priority.

Nevertheless, the sooner our kids are taught the basics of money, the sooner they’ll become financially literate.

Some predict that Generation Alpha (born in 2010–2024) will be the most formally educated, tech-savvy and wealthiest generation in history. However, the lifelong lesson of money can’t be downloaded as an app and absorbed in an instant. Instead, real life teachable moments can be applied to the all-important financial literacy conversation.

And, just as critical as the discussion with your children is, you and your partner need to be on the same page. Chartered Professional Accountants Canada (CPA Canada) recommends some areas to consider when teaching your kids about money: Partners in finance: While parents don’t always see eye to eye, money is a conversation that requires clear communication and compatibility before you talk to your child.

ABCs and 123s: Start the conversation with your kids early. It’s never too soon to show them the value of dollars.

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Make it relatable: Use real life ‘teachable’ moments to kickstart lessons in financial education. With assistance, letting your child pay at the grocery store gives them confidence with transactions.

Pennies to profit: Teach your kids the long game. By providing small allowances and exploring spending goals, your kids will learn from an early age the importance of budgeting.

Continue the conversation: Financial lessons won’t be digested in a one-time talk. Keep checking in with your kids and encourage them to learn.

It’s never too early to start implementing money lessons at home. CPA Canada has a range of tips and resources to help guide the money conversation with your future financial whiz kid. Download CPA Canada’s free financial literacy workshops or a copy of its Raising Money Smart Kids book at cpacanada.ca.

Vivian Leung is a Senior Principal in CPA Canada’s Taxation group.

She is passionate about advancing financial literacy amongst Canadians and is the co-author of CPA Canada’s book Babies: how to afford your bundle of joy.

IslandParent.ca

SPONSORED CONTENT

Inspired Summer Camps for Teens

S

ummer camps are not just for young children, they’re a chance for teens to pursue passions and explore new interests with the Applied Skills for Teens series offered by St. Michaels University School (SMUS) in Victoria, B.C. These camps, taught by specialized teachers and including subjects such as digital fabrication, graphic design, robotics, math, physics, screenwriting, poetry, pottery, and photography are a perfect opportunity to keep teens focused, engaged and learning over the summer months.

“We are offering students the chance to engage in subjects they are passionate about without the pressure of assessment and homework,” says Craig Kelley, Director of External Programs. “They will have a lot of fun and it’s a way of learning that will spark their interest and keep them inspired through the rest of the year.”

SMUS has partnered with the Victoria Conservatory of Music to offer the Summer Music Explorations Camp, with both day and overnight options. Students will explore the creative world of music, while broadening their knowledge of genres and strengthening their technical playing skill within our world-class facilities.

To encourage the next generation of budding engineers, SMUS is offering Byte Camp U. During this two-week overnight camp, students will tackle real-world challenges to develop their problem-solving, engineering and technology skills.

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With more than 60 camps, there is something for everyone at SMUS. Day camps are open to all Greater Victoria families, and overnight options are available for music, engineering, sports and language programs.

To learn more and to register, please visit our Summer Camps website: www.smus.ca/camps.

April/May 2022

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Befriend the Birds

Healthy Families, Happy Families

Child, Youth & Family Public Health South Island Health Units

Esquimalt Gulf Islands

250-519-5311 250-539-3099

Peninsula Saanich Saltspring Island Sooke Victoria West Shore

250-544-2400 250-519-5100 250-538-4880 250-519-3487 250-388-2200 250-519-3490

(toll-free number for office in Saanichton)

Central Island Health Units

Duncan Ladysmith Lake Cowichan Nanaimo Nanaimo Princess Royal Parksville/Qualicum Port Alberni Tofino

250-709-3050 250-755-3342 250-749-6878 250-755-3342 250-739-5845 250-947-8242 250-731-1315 250-725-4020

North Island Health Units

Campbell River Courtenay Kyuquot Health Ctr ‘Namgis Health Ctr Port Hardy

250-850-2110 250-331-8520 250-332-5289 250-974-5522 250-902-6071

islandhealth.ca/our-locations/ health-unit-locations Changes with BC Medical Services Plan premiums mean that families eligible for partial payment of some medical services and access to some income-based programs now must apply for Supplementary Benefits through the Government of BC. Applications can be done online and take approximately 15 minutes.

Families who previously qualified for MSP Premium Assistance should not need to re-apply if taxes are completed yearly. It is advised to confirm coverage before proceeding with treatment to avoid paying out of pocket.

For more information, visit gov.bc.ca/gov/ content/health/health-drug-coverage/msp/ bc-residents/benefits/services-covered-bymsp/supplementary-benefits

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our family can be a good neighbour to local backyard birds.

This spring put out nesting material.

See who prefers the fluff to the moss.

Then learn to identify birds by song with fun mnemonics, as they settle in to nest and raise a family of their own.

Show passion for some part of our living world. It’s experiences in nature that shape who we are and how we live. To help our non-human kin brings us a little more magic and helps make friends with mystery. Nature is potent!

A mnemonic is a pattern of letters, ideas or associations to help you remember something. It aids the memory. (You use them all the time.)

How to provide nesting material

To “rewild” your yard, plant native trees, shrubs, and forbs. Trees species with the best downy-like fluff have catkins (a flowering spike) like cottonwood, maple, willow, and poplar. (Allergy sufferers will know exactly where these wind-pollinated trees are in the neighbourhood.)

All types of bird nests need a combination of twigs, dried grasses, moss, hair, mud and even spider webs. It’s easy and fun to attract birds and enjoy observing them by putting out nesting material.

My local hummingbirds chose the moss, while pine siskins preferred the cattail fluff!

Other natural, biodegradable, pesticide-free materials: Dog fur (free from chemical flea and tick treatments), horsehair (clean their body brushes) or wool. DON’T use human hair.

Moss Dry grass Cattail fluff Twigs and strips of bark Dried leaves Don’t use dryer lint (it’s a chemical soup), yarn or string and synthetic fibres.

Human hair is also too thin and can cut or tangle birds.

Take a handful of nesting materials and stuff a repurposed metal whisk or use a winter cage-like suet feeder. Then

hang it in a tree or shrub (sheltered from rain) where you can watch the action!

Continue to restock and offer nesting materials March to July. It’s common for pairs to have a failed nest and they’ll need to rebuild after a storm or if a predator comes thru.

Note: Shop for bird-nesting material with cotton, hemp and wool fibers at wild bird stores or anywhere that sells bird seed and houses.

Keep a patch of bare ground with exposed soil to help swallows and robins. They need mud for their nests (you’ll help native mason bees and butterflies, too). Sounds silly but chances are you already have a place they use. It could be the corner of the yard that gets trampled or a low spot that puddles.

Beginner bird mnemonics for common species

Now that you’ve observed which birds are nesting in or near your yard, get to know them by song. You’ll learn which species love living near you and get to know the birds on your favourite walking routes, too.

When I birded for a living in the boreal forest of Alberta, songs were the easiest way to identify birds. Songbirds were often hard to see in dense over- and understory or they were far away and high up. Luckily, birders train in mnemonics and you can too!

Photo: Robert Fraser

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Jon Young, author of What the Robin Knows: How Birds Reveal the Secrets of the Natural World says the bravest to most secretive birds to reveal their presence to you are: chickadees, sparrows, juncos, thrushes, warblers, then towhees.

Twelve phrases and clues to identify Vancouver Island birds by song:

Don’t hear it? Don’t stress. Listen to a variety of bird song recordings online to train your ear. Prefer to learn in the field?

Join a local naturalist group or register for a nature sanctuary guided birding walk.

Lindsay Coulter is a writer, educator, facilitator, naturalist, community catalyst, soul activist, mentor, and dedicated mother of two. She’s the Director of Communications, Culture and Community at EPIC Learning Centre, a forest and nature school in Victoria. Find her @SaneAction on Instagram and Facebook.

Photo: Kalene Lillico

American Goldfinch says “po-ta-to-chip” while in flight Barred Owl says “Who-cooks-for you? Who-cooks for you all?”

Chestnut-backed Chickadee says “Sika-dee-dee” Chipping Sparrow sounds mechanical, like a sewing machine Olive-sided Flycatcher says “Quick, three beers!”

Ruby-crowned Kinglet says “Chubby, chubby, cheek, chubby cheeks” Song Sparrow says “Maids-maids-maids-put-on-your-teakettle-ettle-ettle” or “Hey! Hey! Put on the kettle, kettle, kettle” Spotted Towhee says “Tow-hee?”

White-breasted Nuthatch sounds like a nasally French horn White-throated Sparrow says “O, sweet, Canada, Canada, Canada” Yellow Warbler sings “Sweet, sweet, sweet, I’m so sweet” I also recommend learning songs of the Pacific Wren, Darkeyed Junco, Brown Creeper and Yellow-rumped Warbler, too

Swimming is a Life Skill Remember how much fun it is to swim!

Now Registering Spring pre-competitive programs Coming Soon Summer intro programs— registered by the week

Register online at www.islandswimming.com/program-info More information info@islandswimming.com (250) 744-5536

IslandParent.ca

April/May 2022

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Scavenger Hunt

In the CITY Things to Look for Something red A sign with the letter “A” on it

Find scavenger hunt items, sing a song, read some books and have fun learning together.

Rhyme “The Elevator Song” Oh, the city is big and the city is grand (stretch arms wide then stretch hands high) There are lots of people living on a little bit of land (pinch fingers close together) And we live way up on the 57th floor (point up)

A recycling bin

And this is what we do when we go out the door (pretend to open a door)

10 blades of grass

We take the elevator up (reach arms up)

A mailbox

We take the elevator down (reach arms down)

A bus

We take the elevator up

A bicycle

We take the elevator down

A blue car

We take the elevator up We take the elevator down And then we turn around (turn around)

Literacy Tip Make letters, words, and sounds part of your everyday activities.

You could say, “I see something that begins with the same letter (or sound) as your name. Do you see it?” or “Do you see the 'Stop’ sign? What should we do?” Try applying these same strategies when reading books together. For example, ask your child to find a familiar letter or word on the page.

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Booklist

Look for these titles at gvpl.ca • Small in the City by Sydney Smith • The Digger and the Flower

by Joseph Kuefler • City Mouse, Country Mouse

by Maggie Rudy

IslandParent.ca

SPONSORED CONTENT

City Nature Challenge 2022

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oin nature lovers across the capital region in celebrating local species and ecosystems by participating in the 2022 City Nature Challenge.

Over a four day period, April 29 through May 2, photograph and document local biodiversity in the capital region using the free iNaturalist Canada website or app, and help to build a record of the nature that surrounds us. More than 400 cities around the world will be participating in the City Nature Challenge this year, as a global celebration of biodiversity in and around urban areas.

Participating in City Nature Challenge in the capital region is easy: • Find nature in your backyard, neighbourhood, favourite park or beach. Observations of plants, animals, fungi, insects, tracks, or even scat are all welcome.

• Photograph your observation from different angles and capture different features. Use a digital camera or smart phone.

• Create an iNaturalist account using the app or website and upload your observation.

• Identify your finding to the highest level that you can, or let the online iNaturalist community help with identification.

• Repeat!

Stay tuned for upcoming information about City Nature Challenge events offered by the CRD and its partners, and iNaturalist resources that will help you get started. crd.bc.ca/biodiversity | inaturalist.ca

Calling all nature lovers!

Join the Capital Region’s City Nature Challenge April 29 - May 2, 2022

How many wild plants and animals can you find in the capital region? Join the CRD and its partners as we compete with cities around the world to document urban nature using the free and simple iNaturalist app.

Get outside with your family to explore the capital region’s amazing biodiversity.

Learn more at www.crd.bc.ca/biodiversity.

IslandParent.ca

April/May 2022

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CUTITOUT!

Not a Problem

C

hildren have problems with their feelings. Some, a little more than others. Although immaturity is a factor, a lot has to do with temperament, which is why a younger child can appear more flexible, calmer, and easier to handle. We come into the world with a genetic blueprint of nine traits. Is your child high in any of the following? · Active children often use their bodies to learn and to express themselves, so it isn’t unusual for this child to come out swinging when they are dysregulated or having a hard time managing their emotional response. Yes, even past the preschool years. · Perceptive children can quickly absorb other people’s stress; they see it, they feel it, they act it out. · Persistent children have difficulty letting go of their agenda. They grieve the loss of their ideas. · Cautious children experience strong, overwhelming emotions when they are faced with a new situation or person. · Children who aren’t adaptable like things to be fair, and of course, life rarely is.

· Very regular children like routine and can easily be triggered by hunger and fatigue. · Sensory sensitive children often feel overwhelmed by their environment. This leads to depletion and an empty reserve of patience. · Intense children feel things in a big way and have difficulty keeping their reactions to a dull roar. Remember, adults have temperament too. · Some children come into the world with a more serious mood.

What to do: Stop seeing a child’s eruptions as a problem to be fixed. Time will take care of this if handled well.

Regulate yourself. Focus on your breath and your inner dialogue. “My child isn’t giving me a hard time; they are having a hard time.” (Dr. Ross Greene) Keep everyone safe and stand by without words, lectures, threats, or lessons.

Breathe.

Be present if you can, and if you can’t, say you will be back and that you love them.

Your task is to protect your children from getting stuck in the bad kid role.

It does not make sense to punish a child for dysregulation. Remember this is simple immaturity plus temperament.

It’s normal.

Children need to know you can handle their big feelings. If they see fear or helplessness in you, they will believe that there is something wrong with them.

This will lead to more dysregulated episodes and low self-esteem.

Remember to translate I HATE YOU, into HELP, I’M STRUGGLING. When it’s over, just connect. You don’t have to talk it out but show that you get it and you’ve got their back.

Dr. Allison Rees is a parent educator, counsellor and coach at LIFE Seminars (Living in Families Effectively), lifeseminars.com.

BUS I N E SS E S YOU N E E DTO KN OW These local businesses are family-focused and committed to our community and helping you.

Tired of packing lunches? Try a weekly delivery of school lunches!

HEALTHY CONVENIENT AFFORDABLE

ThisWeeksLunch.com/ How-It-Works 38

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SUMMER CAMPS

AT UVIC!

• RECREATION • SPORT DEVELOPMENT • HIGH PERFORMANCE • CLIMBING & OUTDOOR

Develop skills, meet new friends, explore creativity and experience exciting activities in a fun, safe and positive environment!

REGISTRATION OPENS APRIL 4.

See complete camps listings online:

vikescamps.com

• Archery • Ball Hockey • Basketball • Cheer • Cross Country • Dance • Fencing • Girl Power • Golf • Indoor Climbi ng • Outdoor Clim bing • Judo • Mini Vikes

• Racquet Spor ts • Soccer • Softball • Sport Science • Swimming • Tennis • Track & Field • Vikes Advent urers • Vikes Sports • Volleyball • Yoga • and more!

Join us for adventure-filled co-ed summer camps at SMS! Camp themes include tennis, robotics, nature & gardening, LEGO, Harry Potter, art, Minecraft, and more!

Learn more at stmarg.ca/camps IslandParent.ca

April/May 2022

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