May 2016 Island Parent Magazine

Island Parent Celebrating

28 years

The Resource Publication for Vancouver Island Parents

May 2016

New & Expectant Parents Products & services

Yo! Mama Tips, advice & ramblings Books for the Maternally Inclined

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Now With Victoria Locations!

Experience the precision of customized vision

Pregnant Women & New Mums Every mom-to-be experiences hormone fluctuations, but what most don’t know, is that these changes can cause them to develop conditions such as blurred vision, dry eye and severe changes to vision, which may be the first sign of a more serious condition such as Gestational Diabetes.

Visual symptoms to watch for include severe fluctuating or blurring of vision, occasional double vision, loss of visual field, and flashes and floaters within the eyes.

After Delivery:

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STROLLERS • HIGH CHAIRS • CAR SEATS • SLEEP AIDS CARRIERS • SWINGS • CLOTHING • SHOES • TOYS • BOOKS PLAYARDS • NATURAL SKINCARE • DIAPER BAGS

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Langford: #105–814 Goldstream Ave 250-474-4567 www.langfordoptometrists.com Sooke: #5–6726 West Coast Rd 250-642-4311 www.sookeoptometrists.com

New Patients Welcome

Doctors of Optometry recommend that women wait between six and nine months after delivery before making changes to their prescription to ensure their eyes have fully adjusted.

Schedule an eye exam for your baby for a time when he/she is well rested, so that they are relaxed and happy. Fill out any required paperwork at home if possible and bring it with you on the day of your appointment. You may also want to bring along a familiar toy to calm your baby if they start getting fussy.

Curiosity • Diversity Exploration • Nature Play-Oriented Learning

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Contents: May 2016 Articles Fighting Food Waste........................................................................................ 8 How Can I Help?.......................................................................................... 10 Yo! Mama..................................................................................................... 11 Sinners & Saints............................................................................................ 12 Practice Makes Perfect.................................................................................. 16 Empathy & Honesty..................................................................................... 18 Community Connections for New Parents.................................................... 20 Products & Services for New Parents............................................................ 22 Books for the Maternally Inclined................................................................. 26 Gamer-Mama................................................................................................ 34 Emotional Clothing Hoarder......................................................................... 36

Columns Editor’s Note................................................................................................... 3 Healthy Families; Happy Families................................................................. 38 Dadspeak...................................................................................................... 40 Is There an App for This?.............................................................................. 42 Book Nook................................................................................................... 44 New Parent Pages.......................................................................................... 48 Maternity & Beyond..................................................................................... 52 Nature Notes................................................................................................ 54 Cut It Out..................................................................................................... 56

Departments IPM Notes....................................................................................................... 4 Party Directory........................................................................................ 24, 25 Family Calendar............................................................................................ 28 Around the Island......................................................................................... 32 Family Services Directory.............................................................................. 46 Preschool & Child Care Directory........................................................... 50, 51 Business & Professional Directory................................................................. 53 Island Parent Magazine, produced by Island Parent Group Enterprises Ltd., is a monthly publication that honours and supports parents by providing information on resources and businesses for families, and a forum for the exchange of ideas and opinions. Views expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher. Letters (max 250 words) should be emailed to the Editor at editor@islandparent.ca. No material herein may be reproduced without the permission of the Editor. Unsolicited manuscripts are welcome and should be emailed to editor@islandparent.ca.

Island Parent Magazine is distributed free in selected areas. Subscriptions can be obtained by sending $35.00 (includes GST) with your name and address to the address below. Canada Post: Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement 40051398.

Island Parent Magazine

830-A Pembroke St, Victoria, BC V8T 1H9 Tel: 250-388-6905 Website: islandparent.ca Publisher/Owner: Mark Warner Editor: Sue Fast Sales & Marketing: RaeLeigh Buchanan Publisher’s Assistant & Sales: Linda Frear Distribution: Ray Cutts, Ted Dawe (Mid-Island) Founders: Jim Holland & Selinde Krayenhoff Production: Eacrett Graphic Design Printed at Black Press, Victoria Cover printed at Hillside Printing ISSN 0838-5505

2 Island Parent Magazine

On the Cover: Daniel G. (6 months) Cover Photo: PR Photo Creations, prphotocreations.com

Follow Us on Facebook & Twitter facebook.com/IslandParent twitter.com/IslandParent IslandParent.ca

An App for That …and that, and that, and that

W

hether you’re looking for an app to help you get pregnant, an app to monitor your pregnancy—minute by minute, kick by kick—or an app to help you keep track of the length and intervals of your contractions, you’re in luck.

According to a 2013 report by Citrix, a software company that tracks app usage, pregnancy-related apps were more popular than fitness apps. And where there’s a demand, there’s often a ballooning supply.

Need a kick counter? There’s an app for that. A hospital bag checklist? Yep, that, too. How about an app to track and share, in real time, your birthing process—with optional live streaming? Got you covered.

Well, loosely. In a hospital gown.

In the New York Times article, “Pregnancy Apps Do Everything but Ease Labour Pains,” writer Nick Bilton reports that four of the top 10 paid medical apps at the Apple iTunes store are currently baby-related, including My Baby’s Beat, a fetal heart

monitor, and Baby Connect, designed to let you “know at any time what your baby is doing.”

There’s BabyBump, a pregnancy tracker and social network rolled into one, and Baby Names, packed with 30,000 alternatives to Olivia and Ezra. There’s even an app for dads called Guys Guide to the Delivery Room that lets dads walk through different delivery room scenarios, all narrated in relaxed “man-speak.” One can only imagine.

But the fun really begins once your baby is born. Impress family and friends with the free app, PoopMD, complete with colour recognition software that lets new parents photograph the contents of their baby’s dirty diaper and get instant analysis. Never before has changing diapers been so fascinating, not to mention fun and interactive.

If your baby is having trouble falling asleep, try one of the many white noise apps that let you create custom effects including a cat purring, rain falling, waves crashing,

grass growing and, uh oh, dad snoring.

If that doesn’t work, there’s always Air Conditioner, Car Ride, Train Ride, Conch Shell, Hair Dryer, Fan or Vacuum Cleaner.

Once you baby is finally asleep, switch on one of the many baby monitor apps and watch four different live streams simultane-

Editor’s Note Sue Fast ously. Imagine the hours of entertainment.

Or enable the monitor to FaceTime you when your baby wakes up. Some apps have an unlimited broadcasting range that lets you speak to your baby or play a lullaby from afar. At this rate, can dream monitoring and interpretation apps be far off?

With all of these advances in technology, parenting today is becoming a snap—or should I say a “click?” Just don’t lose your phone.

Oh, wait. Never mind.

There’s even an app for that.

Happy Mother’s Day.

CTots Childhood Education Centre 2955 Glasgow Street (across Topaz Park) Newborn - 5 years  Full/Part Time (250) 589-7677  chanivictoria@gmail.com

At CTots Childhood Education Centre, we see each child entrusted into our care as a unique and precious gift, with infinite potential to absorb, grow, and become.

We provide a unique experience that is based on Jewish values, inspires all areas of development, producing a well-mannered, well-adjusted, happy and gracious individual.

Give the little people in your family real tools for life!

IslandParent.ca

May 2016 3

IPM Notes Hike for Hospice 2016 Mark your calendar and start fundraising with your family, friends, or group for the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Hike for Hospice on Sunday, May 1. This nationwide event is designed to bring together individuals and organizations to raise funds and awareness for hospice and palliative care.

The hike will take place in several communities across Vancouver Island and is open to everyone.

Victoria residents meet at Fisherman’s Wharf Park for the 5th Annual Hike for Hospice. Gather a team of friends and family, challenge your co-workers or join as an individual to help support end-of-life care in your community.

Check-in and entertainment starts at 9am and the walk begins at 10am. A scenic 3.5km loop—accessible for all ages and abilities—will take participants from the Inner Harbour to the ocean and back again, raising critical funds and awareness for Victoria Hospice along the way. Visit victoriahospice.org.

Nanaimo and area residents meet at Maffeo Sutton Park for A Walk to Remember and Picnic in the Park on May 1. Registration will begin at 10am and the hike starts at 11am. Afterwards, participants are invited to the Picnic in the Park from noon-2pm.

Gather pledges, gather a team. Wear your company logo. Leashed pets are welcome.

To register, phone Nanaimo Hospice Community Society at 250-591-8811. For links for online fundraising or to print a pledge sheet, visit nanaimohospice.com.

Celebrating the Diversity of One-parent Families In honour of Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, 1Up Single Parent Resource Centre is offering the community a variety of activities and events. On Wednesday May 4 from 7:30-9am, three featured speakers—Dr. Allison Rees, Dr. Charlotte Loppie, and Kathleen Bellamano—will host Building, Bridging, Bringing Calm at a community breakfast at Cedar Hill Golf Course. Tickets are $40.

From May 11-June 15, 1Up Single Parent Resource Centre will offer fun and informative mini workshops on current topics including: Mentoring Matters; The Anatomy of Anger; Mindfulness & Yoga; Nutrition: Making it Fast, Fun & Affordable; Dads for Dads; and Lighthouse Parenting. Re4 Island Parent Magazine

freshments included, along with programming and child-minding for kids. Free.

Reservations required. To view workshop descriptions or for tickets, visit 1-up.ca. For more information, phone 250-385-1114.

New Momease Baby Boutique Grand Opening Momease Baby Boutique is excited to announce a new addition to the family with a second Victoria store now open on Hillside Avenue, across from Hillside Centre. Specializing in innovative and functional baby gear and parenting accessories for newborns to toddlers, Momease Baby Boutique offers a wide selection of products including strollers, car seats, carriers, clothing, shoes, toys, books and more. With additional space at the new Hillside location, the store features nursery furniture and decor, including Babyletto cribs, changing tables, and Monte Design made-in-Canada nursing glider chairs. Be sure to come by for the Grand Opening Celebration on Saturday May 7 to be entered for a chance to win prizes, for store specials, and for give-aways, as well as face painting for the kids from 10am-1pm, and custom treats. The new Hillside shop is open Monday through Saturday from 9:30am-6pm, and Sundays from 11am-5pm at 1581 Hillside Ave. Phone 778-265-5651.

The existing store is located in The Shops at Mattick’s Farm and is open daily from 10am5:30pm at 5325 Cordova Bay Rd. Phone 778-265-5432. Or shop online at momease. ca 24/7, and be sure to follow Momease on Facebook and Instagram for more details about this Grand Opening event.

50 Years of Music & 34 Years of the Garden Tour Strolling through beautiful gardens, carried along by wonderful music, is there truly any better way to spend the day with a woman you love? This Mother’s Day weekend, May 7 and 8, you are invited to connect with gorgeous gardens enjoying the beautiful Victoria Spring with the Victoria Conservatory of Music (VCM) 34th Annual Mother’s Day Garden Tour. Two-day passes grant exclusive passage to 10 hand-picked, enchanting oases to revel in the inspiration and joy of gardening while enjoying music from VCM students and faculty.

The 10 gardens offer every manner of variety including an urban farm, complete with bees (with epipens on site). New this year is the Most Outstanding Planter contest. Garden centres have been invited to submit their most inspired planted pots IslandParent.ca

and planters for judging by the garden tour participants. The planter contest winner receives a great VCM ticket package. All the beautiful planters will be auctioned off over the weekend by silent auction.

So far, inspiration is abounding for what promises to be a great new addition to this annual event.

Participants are invited to have their gardening questions answered by an on-site Master Gardener, purchase their season’s plants at the ever-popular plant sale and bid on Outstanding Planters in this year’s silent auction. Tickets may be purchased online and at many locations throughout Greater Victoria. Find more information at vcm.bc.ca. All proceeds support the Victoria Conservatory of Music.

Mother’s Day Paint-In & Craft Fair at Royal Roads On Sunday May 8 from 10am-4pm, you can drop by the 21st annual Mother’s Day Paint-In and Craft Fair at Royal Roads University located in Hatley Park National Historic Site and experience a community outdoor festival where more than 3,000 visitors are expected.

Wander the beautiful spring-blooming gardens of Hatley Park, enjoy free tours of Hatley Castle, take in the wide variety of live musical entertainment throughout the day on the main stage and challenge your children’s creativity with fun activities and crafts provided by West Shore Parks and Recreation and local entertainers.

Other highlights will include a variety of family entertainment, main-stage performances, children’s entertainment and the opportunity to join a 30-minute guided tour of Hatley Castle. The museum and gift shop will also be open in the lower level of Hatley Castle. Admission is free and parking is only $5 for the full day. For more information, visit royalroads.ca/event/ mothers-day-paint-and-craft-fair.

Selkirk Waterfront Festival The Selkirk Waterfront Festival is an annual event hosted by the Burnside Gorge Community Association and will be held on Saturday May 28, from 10am-3pm. Don’t miss this free, fun-filled family event that offers something for everyone. Highlights include carnival-style rides, fun inflatables, facepainting, and balloon twisting in the Family Fun Zone. There’s the international food court where you can explore taste sensations from around the world (Mexican, Hungarian, Polish, Greek, East Indian IslandParent.ca

and carnival treats), and the Artisan Craft Market with fine artwork and handicrafts for sale.

Groove to the sounds of local performers. There are lots of opportunities to get involved with this great festival: as a vendor, volunteer or sponsor. For more information contact Burnside Gorge Community Centre at 250-388-5251, or email info@ burnsidegorge.ca.

Touch-a-Truck This spring, Victoria’s Team 4 Hope will be hosting the 5th Annual Touch-a-Truck for Pediatric Cancer Research on May 29 from 11am-3pm at Panorama Recreation Centre, 1885 Forest Park Drive, North Saanich.

Children and their families are invited to get behind the wheel and explore trucks of all kinds, including firetrucks, police cars, excavators, cement trucks and more. This fun-filled afternoon also includes a host of family activities and a BBQ. In the past four years, Team 4 Hope’s Touch-a-Truck has raised over $40,000 for critical neuroblastoma research.

The Team 4 Hope is a locally run fundraising team dedicated to raising awareness of childhood cancer, namely neuroblastoma.

Neuroblastoma is an aggressive and deadly nervous system tumor that is usually diagnosed in children age six and younger. It affects approximately 70 children in Canada per year. The chance for survival is grim, as neuroblastoma often comes back after treatment. After relapse, there is no standard treatment protocol and no cure. As of 2016, there were 11 children in the Victoria area who had been affected by neuroblastoma.

One child was newly diagnosed, five of these children are currently in remission, and five have passed away. We lost two of our local children to Neuroblastoma in 2015.

Due to the limited amount of neuroblastoma research, the survival rate has not changed significantly in the past 25 years.

The Team 4 Hope is trying to initiate a positive change in neuroblastoma survival rates by raising research funds for neuroblastoma. Since their founding four years ago, their team raised over $300,000 for neuroblastoma research, with an average of over 84 per cent of funds going directly to support new projects at research facilities in B.C., including the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation and the Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre (BC Cancer Agency). They are very proud to be the top fundraisers for neuroblastoma research in Western Canada.

Join the Team 4 Hope at Touch-a-Truck May 2016 5

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2016 for Pediatric Cancer Research to help give hope to children battling neuroblastoma. Tickets: $15 per family (advance), $20 per family (at the door) or $5 for individual tickets. To purchase your tickets, please visit team4hope.com or contact Melissa at melissa.drolet@gmail.com (250-655-5009).

Tickets go on sale May 1.

World Partnership Walk Celebrate the 32nd annual World Partnership Walk on Sunday, May 29 at the University of Victoria (UVic). This is Canada’s largest event in support of international development.

The Walk starts at UVic’s Petch Fountain (by McPherson Library), and meanders along the beautiful Alumni Chip Trail, through Finnerty Gardens and along the ridge above Mystic Vale. There will be food, a kid’s play area and a Global Village to learn about how we as Canadians are contributing to programs in Africa and Asia.

One hundred per cent of the funds raised are used to help communities in the poorest regions of Asia and Africa with initiatives in education and literacy, agriculture, clean water, and health care. Families in Victoria are an important part of this solution to global poverty.

The World Partnership Walk is a green initiative, so bring your water bottle, and help make this walk environmentally friendly.

Same-day registration begins at 10am or register online at worldpartnershipwalk. com. Opening ceremonies start at 11 am.

Bike to Work Week The Greater Victoria Bike to Work Week (BTWW) has been spinning its wheels for more than two decades and is proud to announce this year’s event, running May 30–June 5. The wheels are in motion planning events throughout the week to celebrate one of the capital region’s most supported and recognized free community events attracting over 7,000 commuter cyclists each year, including about 12,000 new cyclists since inception. Register for your chance to win one of many great prizes.

Unique to Greater Victoria Bike to Work Week are the cycling skills courses for adults, youth and children, sponsored by the Capital Region District’s Ride On! program.

These courses are fun, informative, build confidence and introduce participants to the cycling community. For information on BTWW registration, bike safety, and for other BTWW resources, visit biketowork. ca/victoria.

IslandParent.ca

Weather Alert: Icy Temperatures Forecast for Royal BC Museum Move over El Niño, another major climatic event is on its way. The Royal BC Museum in Victoria is forecast to descend into a deep freeze this summer when woolly mammoths and other giants of the Ice Age return for the first time in more than 10,000 years.

Mammoths: Giants of the Ice Age will transport visitors back to a time great beasts dominated the world and ancient peoples struggled to survive in a rapidly changing environment. The exhibition opens June 3 and runs through December 31, 2016.

Everything about Mammoths: Giants of the Ice Age is on a huge scale. Visitors can walk among fleshed-out models of these imposing creatures that stood more than 4 meters (14 feet) tall and weighed as much as seven tonnes (eight tons).

The exhibition includes an exceptional collection of fossils, preserved mammoth flesh, immersive multimedia and engaging interactive displays. Visitors will be able to touch real mammoth tusks and mastodon teeth, and learn about some of their fierce neighbours such as dire wolves, sabertoothed cats and short-faced bears.

Visitors will learn how scientists excavate and discover more about these majestic animals, their eventual extinction and whether it is possible (or even ethical) to clone them today.

For more information and a full calendar of exhibition-related special events, including summer kids camps, follow #RBC Mammoths and visit royalbcmuseum.bc.ca.

Swan Lake Christmas Hill The south section of the beautiful but aging Swan Lake Christmas Hill Boardwalk is beyond repair and so begins the fundraising effort for the required replacement renovations. Made of wood in 1991, the Boardwalk has been weathered by forces of nature and needs to be replaced. Once the $800,000 campaign goal has been reached, this structure that bridges people to nature will be replaced with aluminum—safe, aesthetic, and guaranteed longevity.

Donate to this important renovation project and you can be part of the Bridges to Nature Campaign. Your gift today can provide a new bridge to nature for future generations to come. Visit the Society’s website for more information about the Bridges to Nature Campaign or contact Executive Director, Kathleen Burton by telephone at 250-479-0211.• IslandParent.ca

COMPREHENSIVE FAMILY DENTISTRY family centered practice extended hours evenings and weekends the latest equipment and caring staff request an appointment online

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Victoria’s favourite dentists believe a healthy smile starts early. Free first visit for children under 5.

Hands-On Home-Learning High School Program

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Students and teachers work together to cocreate an individualized, inquiry-based program based on student interests.

This new home-learning option is an exciting amalgamation of Oak and Orca's unique High School Program and Hands-on HomeLearning K-9.

A program of Oak and Orca Bioregional School oakandorca.ca ~ 250-383-6619 ~ 1-888-383-6619 Get credit for exploring what you're interested in!

May 2016

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Pregnant?

Pregnancy is a state of health. Midwives recognize what an extraordinary time this is in your life and we are available to support you through your childbearing year.

Covered by Your BC Health Care BC’s Medical Services Plan pays for midwifery care, including in-home check-ups in labour and after you’ve had your baby. You can self-refer to a midwife.

Quality Care Studies show that midwifery clients have lower rates of episiotomies, infection, Caesarean sections, forceps and vacuum deliveries and newborns that require resuscitation.

Choice of Hospital or Home Birth Continuity of Care Comprehensive Care Breastfeeding Education & Support We would be pleased to schedule an appointment to answer your questions about midwifery care.

midwivesinvictoria.ca 8 Island Parent Magazine

Rachel Dunstan Muller

Fighting Food Waste I

t doesn’t take much to get a science project started in the back of my fridge. It’s not that I want to incubate interesting moulds and bacterial cultures, but inevitably certain items get nudged out of sight by newer additions. By the time they’re rediscovered, it’s often too late. The leftover chili/homemade jam/cooked beets have spoiled.

It would be easy to dismiss this as a first world problem: too much food, not enough time to consume it. But household food waste is only the visible tip of a much deeper and more serious issue. Globally, about 2.9 trillion pounds of food—roughly one third of what the world produces—doesn’t get eaten. This is an outrageous number on a planet that sees one in nine people go to bed hungry every night. The North American statistics are even worse: slightly over half the food we produce goes to waste, while at the same time 13 per cent of Canadians face some degree of food insecurity.

Wasted food is a tragedy from a human perspective, but it also takes a heavy toll on the environment. When food is left to rot, all the water, fertilizer, herbicides, pesticides, and seeds used to produce it are wasted as well, not to mention the land used to grow it, and the fuel used to power tractors and other production equipment. Our finite planet simply can’t afford waste on this scale.

Admittedly, much of North America’s food waste happens long before you or I can do anything about it. In Canada’s food and vegetable supply chain, 20 per cent is lost in the field or greenhouse, three per cent is lost during storage and shipping, two per cent in commercial juice production and canning, and nine per cent at wholesalers and grocery stores. But almost 20 per cent of fruits and vegetables are discarded in our own homes—where we do have control.

Organizations around the world are studying the systems that produce our food in an attempt to address this urgent issue.

Closer to home, many food banks and other programs are partnering with local wholesalers, supermarkets and restaurants to keep consumable food out of our landfills.

For example, Nanaimo’s Loaves and Fishes Food 4U Food Recovery Program currently partners with a number of large and small

businesses to redistribute food that would otherwise end up in dumpsters. The salvaged food is distributed through the organization’s own food bank as well as many other downstream programs. Food 4U has been extremely successful. In its first two years, it recovered more than $1.6 million worth of food. With the recent acquisition of a warehouse, the program is able to partner with even more local businesses, and redirect even more consumable food to the people who need it most.

We can also take action as individuals to dramatically reduce food waste: In the community. Ask your local grocery store or bakery if they participate in an initiative like the Food 4U Recovery Program. Offer to pickup and deliver unsold, near-expiry food if you have connections with a drop-in playgroup or other program that could benefit from free food. Not all businesses will be interested in such an arrangement, but you won’t know until you ask. Consider joining or starting a gleaner’s group during the harvest season—picking surplus fruit and vegetables from local orchards or gardens, and sharing it with food banks and other community organizations.

Or simply offer to pick your neighbour’s unwanted fruit in exchange for a homemade pie or jam.

Eating out. Ask your server to hold back extras like bread and butter if you know you won’t eat them. Split sides and large entrées or order half-portions to keep quantities manageable. Bring a container to take home any leftovers.

Shopping. Take a quick inventory of perishables before you go to the store, and make a list to avoid purchasing more than you need. Look for vendors who sell ‘ugly’ fruits or vegetables. Produce often gets rejected because it’s under or over-size, or an unconventional shape. When possible, purchase fresh produce directly from farm stands and farmers’ markets. Consider frozen fruit or veggies at the grocery store—less of it gets discarded between the farm and your grocer’s shelves. Be realistic about what your family can consume when you come across a great deal. Could you share your bulk buy with another family?

IslandParent.ca

At home. When unpacking groceries, immediately store items where and how they will last the longest. For a comprehensive list of storage tips, download the ‘A-Z Food Storage Guide’ available at makedirtnotwaste.org. The site also offers helpful storage ideas for families avoiding plastic.

Learn which foods can be dried, canned

Globally, about 2.9 trillion pounds of food—roughly one third of what the world produces—doesn’t get eaten.

This is an outrageous number on a planet that sees one in nine people go to bed hungry every night. or frozen for long-term storage. Reserve a shelf in your fridge for use-it-up foods, and consume those items first. Alternatively, keep a whiteboard on your fridge or freezer to record foods that need to be eaten, and plan meals accordingly. Make stone soup with the odds and ends in your crisper. Have leftovers for lunch or on a regular night each week, or freeze them for days you’re too busy to cook. Serve children multiple small portions, rather than a single large portion.

Do a monthly inventory of your cupboards and freezers. If you still have too much of something, google the surplus ingredient for clever use-it-up ideas. Be especially careful not to waste meat or dairy, which have high water and carbon footprints.

At school. North American students waste a huge amount of food. To see what your kids are or aren’t consuming, ask them to return uneaten or partially-eaten items in their lunchbox rather than discarding them at school. Make adjustments to their lunches based on the patterns you see. If possible, involve your kids in the snack and lunchmaking process. Younger kids can assist you, and older kids can pack their own food.

If you’re interested in learning more about food waste, Tristram Stuart’s book Waste: Uncovering the Global Food Scandal can be requested from both Vancouver Island library systems. You can also check out his website at tristramstuart.co.uk.

Rachel Dunstan Muller is the mother of five, and a children’s author. Her previous articles can be found at islandparent.ca.

IslandParent.ca

New Kids Dentist

Dr. Anita Gadzinska-Myers

is a Board Certified Specialist in Pediatric Dentistry and has a Fellowship in Special Needs Dentistry for children • Accepting new patients now (infants to teenagers) • Referral not needed • Member of Cleft Lip and Palate Team

Special Services:

short wait list • intravenous sedation • hospital dentistry • nitrous oxide

Victoria Pediatric Dental Centre 206–1830 Oak Bay Ave

www.victoriapediatricdentalcentre.ca

250-383-2133

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Summer Sault Gymnastics Camp 2016

GYMNASTICS CENTRE Where Fun & Fitness are #1

July 4 to August 26, 2016

Call for more information:

250-479-6424

Parent & Tot Gym Bugs School Age Recreational 51⁄2 – 14 yrs 18 mos – 3 yrs 31⁄2 – 5 yrs Half Days morning or afternoon camps, Full Day camps. For more information log on to our website at www.falcongymnastics.com We also have: • The best gymnastics and most affordable classes.

• The best Birthday Parties in town.

208 – 721 Vanalman Ave, Victoria, BC V8Z 3B6

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Summer Fun for Everyone Camps for kids in Victoria ages 5–15

Choose from:

Circus Circus Code:Makers Summer Chefs Passion Sports Basketball and much more!

A limited number of bursaries are available. Visit our website for information on these and other programs: www.smus.ca/summer, or call the Education Extension office at 250-370-6120

FOR ALL KIDS IN VICTORIA AGES 5–15

smus.ca May 2016

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Join Us for FUN and ADVENTURE

How Can I Help?

at Burnside Gorge

Exciting weekly themes and out­-trips!

Camp Survivor

Adventure Day Camp Ages 10­–15

Burnside Fun n’ Sun

Licensed Day Camp Ages 5­–11

Space is limited – register now! 250­- 388-5251

Emmanuel Preschool

Emmanuel Preschool

2121 Cedar Hill Cross Road (by entrance to UVic)

Openings forHill 2013–2014 2121 Cedar Cross RoadClasses! (by entrance to UVic) Children through ininclusive, our all inclusive, Children learnlearn through play in play our all non-denominational Christian preschool. non-denominational Christian preschool.

Great facility; outdoor play area a gym rainy for day play!

Great facility; outdoor playand area andfor a gym Two teachers with ECE certification plus assistant teachers to day play!

Twochildren. teachers with ECE certification helprainy with special needs plus an assistant help with special needs A competent and caringteacher teachingtoteam! children. A competent and caring teaching team!

Opportunities: Class Options for 2016–2017: Mon / Wed / Fri morning class Mon/Wed/Fri morning class Tues / Thurs morning class Tues/Thurs morning class 5 mornings a week

5 mornings a week Phone 250-598-0573 Phone 250-598-0573 preschool@emmanuelvictoria.ca preschool@emmanuelvictoria.ca www.emmanuelpreschool.ca

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Birds Up Close

Flying daily March – October www.the-raptors.com 1877 Herd Rd. Duncan BC 250-746-0372

10 Island Parent Magazine

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hen a baby is born, people want to know what they can do to help, but as a new parent, you may be too tired or hormoneaddled to come up with an answer. Here are eight answers to the question—“How can I help?”: 1. Bring a meal. The best meals come in a single pan or pot, are freezable, and make good leftovers. Then again, any meal someone else prepares is the best meal, especially if you can eat it one-handed. Tip: If friends bring meals in containers that need to be returned, label them (painter’s tape and a permanent marker) right away or transfer the meal into your own container so they can take theirs home.

2. Buy groceries. Keep your grocery list posted on a whiteboard in the kitchen or in an electronic version you can share. Ask your friends to text you from the store so you can send them your list, or message them a picture of the whiteboard. And keep in mind: One cannot live on enchiladas alone.

Ask your friends to pick up some dried fruit and nuts or washed and cut fresh fruit and vegetables for salads and snacking.

3. Do dishes. Awkward as it may seem to ask friends to clean, doing the dishes is something anyone can do, and it’s time-limited enough to delegate. Just think how wonderful it will be to walk into a clean kitchen.

Remember: Your friends want to help.

4. Do laundry. There’s always some waiting to be done. Friends can throw a load in the washer or dryer, fold dry clothes, or change and wash the towels.

5. Let your friends address and stamp envelopes for those baby announcements and thank-you notes.

6. Walk the dog. Or pet the cat.

7. Take siblings on an outing. Older brothers and sisters will love special and celebratory treatment that’s “just for the big kids.”

8. Watch the baby. Ask for an hour so you can take a nap. Or 15 minutes so you can take a shower.

Excerpted from Parent Hacks: 134 Genius Shortcuts for Life with Kids by Asha Dornfest, illustrated by Craighton. © 2016. Used with permission of Workman Publishing.

IslandParent.ca

Yo! Mama

Wisdom, Tips, Advice & Ramblings “You go through big chunks of time where you’re just thinking, ‘This is impossible, oh this is impossible.’ and then you just keep going and keep going, and you sort of do the impossible.” – Tina Fey on motherhood

New Mom Free Pass from scarymommy.com

This certificate entitles the bearer to guilt-free, no-questions-asked exemptions on any and all non-baby obligations, including but not limited to the following: 1. Thank-you notes of any kind. If you want to let me know you received a shipped gift, a texted “THX” is more than sufficient.

2. Showering. Unless, of course, someone is watching your baby, in which case you hereby have permission to take the longest, hottest shower of your life.

3. Cleaning of any kind. Let the dishes pile up and the dust bunnies swirl. Procrastination is your friend.

4. Wearing pants or a bra. This exemption will continue for quite some time, say nine years.

5. Entertaining. If someone stops by to “see the baby,” this is your opportunity to nap, rest, read, or just chill out for a few minutes.

Top 10 Baby Name of 2016...so far (from nameberry.com): 1. Olivia &

Ezra • 2. Amelia & Asher • 3. Charlotte & Atticus • 4. Ava & Declan • 5. Isla & Oliver 6. Arabella & Silas • 7. Aurora & Milo • 8. Adeline & Levi • 9. Penelope & Henry • 5. Elanor & Wyatt 6 Alternative Baby Shower Ideas for the Second- (or Third- or Fourth-) Time Mom

1. Host a girl’s night in. Later in the evening, with or without wine, and something good to eat.

2. Have a “treat yo self” day. In lieu of a shower, spend the entire day doing fun things that the expectant mom wants to do (sans kids).

3. Craft it up. Have snacks and spend an evening crafting; be creative and productive while also having a fun time relaxing and chatting.

4. Collect well wishes from friends. In lieu of gifts, ask friends and family to write well wishes and thoughts for the pregnant mama. Have them all placed into a book for her—interspersed with photos of her and her loved ones.

5. Chip in for a practical group gift. A few ideas are: a deep house clean, gift cards for takeout at mom-to-be’s favourite restaurants, a massage, or even a gift card to local baby supply store to help her purchase some things to spruce up Baby’s new nursery.

6. Go out for brunch. As sweet as baby shower décor and favours are, things are much more laid back the second (or third, or fourth …) time around, and a brunch is perfect for all involved.

From 5 Universal Truths of New Motherhood by Liz Curtis Faria on Huffington Post, huffingtonpost.com.

awake so early, small boy rises with the sun. can’t snooze a baby.

From Haiku Mama (because 17 syllables is all you have time to read) by Kari Anne Roy. Quirk Books.

IslandParent.ca

#inthetrenches

Erin Wallis Photography • erinwallis.com

Reasons My Son Is Crying @ReasonsMySonCry Having my 3yo drive his toy monster truck around on my back for 14 seconds is as close as I get to having a “spa day.”

Elizabeth Is Ruined @Elizasoul80 Cooking for kids tip: Why? They won’t eat it anyway.

Mike Reynolds @PuzzlingPostDad With classics like “I like you, but not as much as the rest of our family,” I feel our 4yo would dominate the greeting card industry.

Alex Baze @OneFunnyMummy The thing is you could never know how easy one child is until you have two.

Kate Hall @katewhinehall It’s kind of scary that I’m responsible for three small people and yet I can’t find the Enter button on the remote control.

Never-fail Banana Bread 1⁄2 cup butter 1 tsp baking soda 1 cup sugar 1 tsp salt 2 eggs 4 Tbsp sour cream 1 tsp vanilla 2–3 mashed bananas 11⁄2 cups flour optional: handful of chocolate chips Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Grease a loaf pan. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla; beat. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Add dry ingredients, alternating with sour cream, to the butter mixture. Fold in bananas and chocolate chips, if using.

Pour into loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes to an hour (or whenever a knife in the centre comes out clean). (From Jenny Rosenstrach, dinneralovestory.com)

May 2016

11

Sinners& Kate Wiley

Saints

...Dispatches from the French Alps

It’s the stuff of dreams: A year in the French Alps! Thanks to the Deferred Salary Leave Program available to BC Public Service employees, Kate Wiley and her family of four are living the dream. Her two boys are enrolled at the local elementary school of just 80 pupils. Despite having its own ski hill that overlooks Lake Geneva, the village of Thollon-les-Mémises is mostly off the tourist radar. A little over halfway through their year living in the French Alps, Kate shares her family’s experiences in this installment, the third of a six-part series.

I

briefly considered calling this dispatch Confetti Dans Ma Culotte, for there were fistfuls of the stuff in my undergarments. This past month was bookended by two Catholic celebrations that could not have been more different. The first was Carnival, which we celebrated in true Savoyard style, alongside marching bands dressed as polar bears, pursued by showgirls in Samba costumes fit for Rio. The boys spent the better part of the parade with mouths gaping—their jaws nearly bouncing off the pavement when the confetti cannons exploded from atop a rolling pirate ship.

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In an amusing sign of the times, our family capped off the night standing outside the Casino (a French supermarket chain), dancing enthusiastically to music pumping from the “80’s disco” float. The “disco” playlist featured none other than “Thunderstruck”

by AC/DC. I was transported back to my first concert at Shoreline Amphitheatre in the Bay Area, only this time I was thrashing around with a bunch of bananas in one hand and a bag of flour in the other. As we set off for home, my five-year-old hung his head.

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“What’s wrong, bud?” I asked.

“I want to go there every each day of my life,” he moaned. It would seem the boy has inherited some of his mother’s enthusiasm for the dance floor.

The moaning continued into the following week, when we traded in our brioche for paella con mariscos, bacalao rebozado, guisantes con jamon y huevo, salmorejo, churros con chocolate, costillas guisadas and tortilla (the egg and potato variety).

These exotic dishes were just a few of the ways Pilar, our hostess in Salamanca, shared her love of Spanish cooking with us. While our kids rarely made it past the first taste (churros and chocolate being the obvious exception), my husband and I relished the deep-fried, garlicky goodness of it all.

Equally delightful on the tongue was the Spanish language. Within a matter of days, it was bubbling out of my mouth with hardly any mental effort whatsoever, a welcome respite from months of stumbling through French sentences. This ease with the language enabled me to get a history lesson unlike any will ever be privy to in France.

Pilar’s husband, Jesús, speaks no English but can readily transport his table companions to a time under Franco’s oppressive rule IslandParent.ca

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May 2016 13

when all but the youngest in his family of eight children went without schooling.

Now a professor at the University of Salamanca, Jesús migrated from Andalucía at the age of five with his siblings and widowed mother. Food scarcity forced them northward on a train that traveled so slowly, it took three days to cover some 600 kilometers. I’d share with you the trials of our journey to Salamanca, dragging two feverish, congested boys through airports and bus stations, but the hardships we endured seriously pale in comparison to what this single mother braved at the age of 38, sizing up the train (the first she’d ever seen) with her one remaining good eye and ushering her brood on board, carrying little more than the clothes on their backs. No individually-wrapped seaweed snacks for those eight children.

A week after our arrival in Salamanca, the boys and I are only just recovering our health, a fact that has made touring el centro a bit of a challenge. The Esquimalt High School group that recently departed this same historic city was afflicted by an equally nasty flu bug. Suffice to say the chaperones on that trip earned their stripes. As any seasoned traveler (or teacher) will tell you, a successful trip largely depends on having the right attitude. And that goes double if you’re travelling with children. But it’s mighty hard to have a rosy outlook when everybody in your caravan feels like dirt. My advice for parents on foreign adventures: Know when to cut your losses.

Our three-year-old is constantly reminding us of the importance of respecting this rule of thumb. Only two days ago, my husband actually felt inclined to strip Stuart’s Canada sweatshirt off his back because he was being such an atrocious ambassador.

We had gathered with the masses outside the Casa de las Conchas to observe an hour-long processional, a daily occurrence in Salamanca during Semana Santa (Holy Week). The religious brotherhoods and fraternities that join these processions are considered penitents and wear conical hoods that are eerily similar to those worn by the KKK. This particular parade culminated in a paso or float carried by 20 or so people, depicting a triumphal Jesus entering Jerusalem. It’s a somber affair, nothing like the bacchanalian Carnival parade.

So swept up were we in the spectacle, we disregarded the passage of the lunch hour (at least the Canadian lunch hour) and by the time we disentangled ourselves from

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the crowds to find the boys a snack, Stuart was in rare form. I spotted a Confiteria, but it was too late. Our Stuart had already slithered from his stroller to the pavement where he was giving the entire street his interpretation of Holy Hell.

And so, while there was a time when I would have checked off every last item on the Things-to-see-and-do-in-Salamanca list, it has passed. Eating at that charm-

As any seasoned traveler (or teacher) will tell you, a successful trip largely depends on having the right attitude. And that goes double if you’re travelling with children…

My advice for parents on foreign adventures: know when to cut your losses. ing outdoor café on the Plaza Mayor can quickly become as pleasurable as a visit to the dentist if your children are not inclined to soak up the grandeur. Knowing your kid’s limits and staying within them will go a long way toward keeping collective spirits high. You might have to skip the museum and spend an inordinate amount of time strolling beside embankments suitable for climbing. But you’ll do so holding a precious little hand and stopping regularly to marvel at the colours in a shop window or the thorns on a Spanish rose.

It is with the same willing resignation that I embrace my new normal when it comes to street parties. I will happily trade the Caipirinhas for groceries, just so long as I can get drunk on the laughter of my children while I celebrate.

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16 Island Parent Magazine

I

t’s estimated that half of the world’s population speaks two or more languages. But are there hidden benefits to being bilingual?

Research from Concordia University reveals a new perk visible in the problem-solving skills of toddlers.

The results of a study recently published by the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology show that bilingual children are better than monolinguals at a certain type of mental control, and that those children with more practice switching between languages have even greater skills.

Bilingual speakers can thank the sometimes-arduous practice of switching from one language to another for this skill.

“This switching becomes more frequent as children grow older and as their vocabulary size increases,” says Diane Poulin-Dubois, a professor in Concordia’s Department of Psychology and the study’s senior author.

“Therefore, the superior performance on these conflict tasks appears to be due to bilinguals’ strengthened cognitive flexibility and selective attention abilities as they have increased experience in switching across languages in expressive vocabulary.”

Poulin-Dubois and Cristina Crivello, a graduate student with Concordia’s Centre for Research in Human Development (CRDH), led a group of researchers in a longitudinal investigation, which compared bilingual toddlers to their monolingual peers, tracking the tots as they gained greater vocabularies in each of their two languages.

For the study, the researchers assessed the vocabularies of 39 bilingual children and 43 monolinguals when they were aged 24 months, and then again at 31 months. During the second assessment, the researchers also had the young participants perform a battery of tasks to test their cognitive flexibility and memory skills.

“For the most part, there was no difference between the bilingual and monolingual toddlers,” says Poulin-Dubois. “But that changed dramatically when it came to the conflict inhibition test, and the differences were especially apparent in the bilingual

toddlers whose vocabulary had increased most.”

In this case, conflict inhibition refers to the mental process of overriding a well-learned rule that you would normally pay attention to.

To assess toddlers’ abilities in this domain, Crivello, administered two tests: 1. Reverse categorization. Participants were told to put a set of little blocks into a little bucket and big blocks into a big bucket.

Then the instructions were switched—big blocks in the little bucket and little blocks in the big bucket.

2. Shape conflict. Participants were shown pictures of different sized fruit and asked to name them. Then a new series of images was shown, with a small fruit embedded inside a large one. Toddlers were asked to point to the little fruit.

The bilingual children performed significantly better on the conflict inhibition tasks than did their monolingual counterparts.

“Language switching underlies the bilingual advantage on conflict tasks,” says Crivello. “In conflict inhibition, the child has to ignore certain information—the size of a block relative to a bucket, or the fact that one fruit is inside another. That mirrors the experience of having to switch between languages, using a second language even though the word from a first language might be more easily accessible.”

The unique feature of the study was the finding that the more language switching toddlers engaged in, the more it benefitted them. Within the bilingual group of toddlers, those who had amassed a greater number of “doublets”—pairs of words in each language, such as dog/chien— performed even better on the conflict inhibition tasks.

“By the end of the third year of life, the average bilingual child uses two words for most concepts in his or her vocabulary, so young bilingual children gradually acquire more experience in switching between languages,” says Poulin-Dubois.

For more information, visit concordia.ca/ artsci/psychology.html.

IslandParent.ca

IslandParent.ca

May 2016  17

Jenny Hyslop

Empathy & Honesty Parenting through anxiety and depression

O

kay, first things first. This is not some juicy tell-all tale rife with tragedy and drama. Maybe that’s disappointing for you.

But by most accounts, I’m a pretty normal and devoted mom with minimal regrets about how I’ve gone about this whole parenting thing. Of course, my kiddos have wound up watching more dumb TV-type crap than I had once envisioned—I can currently hear Shaggy and Scooby going on about something ghost-related as I write this—but I feel like that goes without saying these days.

Secondly, I have a degree in Visual Arts, which may just be the polar opposite of a health-related education. Therefore, this article certainly does not count as medical advice. I’m writing about my own experience and I’m letting you know what has worked for me. It might resonate with you, and it might not. So if you now or ever find yourself feeling so low or anxious that it’s hard to get

things done and live your life, here’s what you do: Go talk to a suitable professional and sort that stuff out, tout-de-suite. Do your best to get past all that stigma and/or shame B.S., and get some help. You can and will get back to your normal, whatever that may be.

Moving on, here’s my story.

I’m a mom of two awesome little folks, aged three and seven. And I have some pretty chronic depression and anxiety. Those two states of mind just love to help each other along, don’t they? They’re kind of like two little kids egging each other on when they’re tired and grumpy. Most of the time, my brain health business is a non-issue. Over the past 17 years, I—along with help from a decent-sized crew of professionals, family, and friends—have figured out how to keep functioning and being the fairly rad person that I am. Thanks to yoga, meditation, counseling, eating well, supplements, exer-

cise, acupuncture, and yes, SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) I’m usually more or less happy and healthy, with normal ups and downs.

You may have just read that last sentence and thought to yourself, ‘Whoa, that’s a pretty hefty list to stay on top of.’ To which I reply, yeah, it is. So if, because of standard life busy-ness, one or two of those start to slip, I might start to feel overwhelmed or maybe just a bit empty. And then if there’s a bit of seasonal glumness and/or a stressful life change or two, things might get temporarily hairy.

In my non-mom days when I got in such a state, I could just be sad and anxious and cry and let people help me as needed without worrying too much about how it was affecting them. Maybe it sucked for my family and friends to see me like that, but I didn’t really have concerns about whether it was going to mess them up for life. Those key early formative years are behind them, and adults are usually pretty good at using their own experiences to get a little perspective on a situation. But what happens when there are small, impressionable people around who you’re hoping to turn into well-adjusted humans?

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18 Island Parent Magazine

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You can do your best to hide all that turmoil, in the hope that your offspring will remain blissfully ignorant. That’s what I used to do. But you may have noticed that kids can be even more perceptive than those grown-up types, and so my curious, clever little ones usually figured out that something was up anyway. And they wanted to know what was going on. I’d feel terrible and assume that this was screwing them up royally.

I tearfully confided this to a friend once, and he came back at me with this valuable nugget: “Don’t feel bad about it. It’s great for them.”

At first, I was perplexed, but as we discussed it further, it actually made sense. When my kids witness me feeling awful, they see me as a real, live human who’s having a hard time. It’s an opportunity for them to practice empathy. Can I take a moment to throw in a mom-brag for a second? My kids are two of the most empathetic little folks I know. They fetch me handkerchiefs and water and tell me to take some deep breaths. And here’s what else is happening: I’m showing them that it’s okay to feel your feelings. Why not let people you love know what you’re experiencing, even if it’s not pretty? I certainly want my kids to tell me if they’re feeling cruddy and I like to think that they may even continue do so when they’re teenagers and adults. If they don’t want to talk to me, I hope that they’ll pour it out to someone else they trust, having learned to do so by example.

I will say that this theory probably applies only to a certain point. I do have the rare occasion when my mood gets to a really low point, and then it can be a bit too much for the kids to take on. When this happens, my husband and I have a Plan B where I get some kid-free time one way or another. I make a point to emphasize that I’m not running away from them. I tell them that it’s okay to step away for a bit and do what you need to get yourself feeling better. A self-directed time-out can work wonders.

Of course, I may be totally wrong. In 20 years, my kids may very well find themselves sitting on a comfy couch in a counselor’s office wondering aloud why the hell their mother couldn’t just keep her emotions to herself.

But I’m going to go with my gut on this one.

It feels like it’s working, and it seems like my kids are doing pretty okay. And really, isn’t that—going with our guts—the kindest, most useful parenting advice we can give ourselves?

Jenny Hyslop is a yoga teacher/ artist/ baker/ comedian/ mama of two. She lives in a wee island community and loves to continuously add titles to her bio.

IslandParent.ca

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19

Community FITNESS Connections PROGRAMS for New Parents

West Shore Parks & Recreation

Stroller Classes

F

or some new parents, it might be a yoga class, for others a play group or maybe a local café for a cup of tea. Wherever “it” is for you, that place where you find a connection to other new parents can be as important to your well-being as love is to your baby’s.

Here are a few places where you can meet other new parents.

Recreation/Community Centres Most centres offer free or nominally priced programs for new parents. Parent & Tot Drop-In (0-5yrs, Burnside Gorge Community Centre 250-388-5251), Get Ready to Rock (6mos-4yrs, Pearkes Recreation Centre 250-475-5400), Parent & Tot DropIn (0-5yrs, Saanich Neighbourhood Place 250-360-1148), Playing Together (under 2yrs, Military Family Resource Centre 250-363-2640); Mother Goose (Burnside Gorge, Fernwood 250-381-1552, Esquimalt Neighbourhood House 250-385-2635); Dad’s Drop-In (Saanich Neighbourhood Place) are just some of the programs listed in spring leisure guides.

Exercise Classes

for new parents!

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250-478-8384

www.westshorerecreation.ca 20 Island Parent Magazine

Whatever your preferred method of exercise, chances are you’ll be able to find a class that’s geared toward new parents.

From pre- and post-natal yoga classes (Helga Beer, 250-370-0464, Iyengar Yoga Centre, 250-386-9642, Mothering Touch Centre, 250-595-4905, Moksana Yoga, 250-3852105), to Parent & Tot swimming at your recreation centre, and Mommy and Baby Strength and Stretch, drop-in, at Mothering Touch (250-595-4905), these classes will help you get in shape and meet other parents.

Libraries The Greater Victoria Public Library offers programs for babies and toddlers and their adults. Programs are free and drop-in.

At Baby Time (for babies 0-15 months and caregiver) you’ll learn songs, rhymes, and fingerplays to use with your baby. At Toddler Time (for toddlers 16-35 months and caregiver) you’ll hear stories, songs and rhymes, and see puppets. For children under 3 and their adults, try a Family Storytime. For more info, visit gvpl.ca or phone 250-940-GVPL

(4875). For library programs in other Island communities, check the Vancouver Island Regional Library website at virl.bc.ca.

Parks/Playgrounds With flowers blooming and temperatures getting warmer, May is a beautiful month to be outside, so load up your baby or young child and stroll on down to the park. Try joining Saanich Park’s free Preschoolers in the Park program (saanich.ca/parkrec/ parks/parks/free.html) on Friday mornings from 10-11:30am for playground time, circle time, and a guided nature/urban walk in neighbourhood parks. Weather permitting.

Neighbourhood Houses Call the Neighbourhood House in your area to find out about drop-in programs and other opportunities for you and your child.

Beacon Community Services (various locations) 250-658-6407, Quadra Village Community Centre 250-388-7696, Burnside Gorge Community Centre 250-3885251, Esquimalt Neighbourhood House 250-385-2635, Fernwood Community Centre 250-381-1552, James Bay Community Project 250-388-7844, Military Family Resource Centre 250-363-2640, Saanich Neighbourhood Place 250-3601148, Sooke Family Resource Society 250642-5152. Most drop-in programs are free or cost a nominal fee.

Support for New Families The Mothering Touch Centre at 975 Fort Street offers Parent & Babies drop-in sessions 3 times a week: Tuesday mornings, 11-12:30pm for 9-18 months, Wednesday afternoons, 1-2:30pm for babies 4-9 months; Thursday afternoons, 1-2:30pm for babies newborn to 4 months. There’s also a Pregnancy Happy Hour (and a half!) for IslandParent.ca

pregnant mothers only, on Friday afternoons from 5-6:30pm. $2. Phone 250-595-4905 or visit motheringtouch.ca.

Victoria Native Friendship Centre Programs are designed to promote the health of newborns and mothers in the urban Aboriginal community. The Slaheena & Aboriginal Parenting Programs include a Monday storytime (10:30-11:30am), a Tuesday playgroup (10:30-noon), a Wednesday parent support group (10:30am-1pm; prenatal group from 1-2:30pm), a Thursday craft day (8:30am-4:30pm) and a Friday free place (10am-noon, every second Friday).

Phone 250-384-3211 or visit vnfc.ca.

Support Circles Create your own (invite a few new parents and their babies over for coffee or tea and chit chat) or join a group that’s already formed. For example, Fernwood Community Centre’s Family Resource Program (250-381-1552 ext. 107), a drop-in parent and child interactive group for parents with children up to 5 years of age where parents and children have fun, bond and interact through crafts, circle time, and play.. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:30-11:30am. Coffee, juice and snacks are provided. Suggested donation of $2. Phone 250-381-1552 ext 107.

May 20 - 29, 2016 2

Reserve or buy tickets online: www.fsmtheatre.ca Oak Bay High School Theatre: May 20, May 21, May 22 Isabelle Reader Theatre: May 27, May 28, May 29

“Disney’s The Little Mermaid” is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. 421 West 54th Street, New York, NY 10019 Phone: 212-541-4684 Fax: 212-397-4684 ww.MTIShows.com

Online Connections Victoria’s active online communities offer a great way to connect with other parents, find out about what’s going on in your community, and discover local resources.

At islandparent.ca you can register to access the Island Parent community where you can join in or start discussions on any topic.

Go for a Stroll Meet up with a few new moms and/or dads at the stroller-friendly Gorge Waterway, a perfect place for a leisurely stroll with playgrounds along the way and gorgeous scenery. Or there’s the mostly flat, gravel loop around Rithet’s Bog in Saanich.

For a few hills, and a tougher slog for the stroller thanks to the wood chip trail, is the loop around Cedar Hill Golf Course where you’ll find beautiful views of the Olympic mountains and a duck pond full of well-fed though seemingly always hungry ducks. If you’re looking for a quiet and scenic paved route, try the Songhees, starting either at Westbay Marina or the Delta Ocean Point resort. If you’re too tired to push the stroller back to your starting point, climb aboard the harbour ferry and boat back instead.• IslandParent.ca

Glenlyon Norfolk School Marine Adventure Program Teen Marine Kayak Camps – Summer 2016 Ph 250-370-6852 Email dtyrrell@mygns.ca

Teen Marine Day Camps (ages 11–12): M–F, July 25–29, Aug 22–26

This 9:00–4:30 camp covers all the basics of sea kayaking for the younger paddler while exploring many of Victoria’s best paddling areas. The group (max. 10 kids) will enjoy kayaking games, activities, a Thetis Lake adventure, a lunch cookout together on the fifth day and much more. Be prepared to have fun, get wet and make new friends! Cost: $295.00

Teen Barkley Sound (ages 13–14): S–F, July 31 – Aug 5

Kayak Barkley Sound-Enjoy 5 days of sea kayaking on the rugged West Coast.

This adventure will treat you to eagles, seals, blowholes, intertidal explorations, sandy beaches, sea caves, sea arches, maybe even a whale, superb paddling, awesome food and much more! All food and paddling equipment provided. Lead by professional sea kayak guides.

Cost: $675.00 + GST

Teen Discovery Camps (ages 13–14): M–F, July 4–8, July 11–15, Aug 15–19

Our Discovery Camps are very full days including Paddling basics, wet exits and rescues, and a chance at a first try at your Eskimo roll. We’ll then take our new skills over to Discovery Island for a three-day camping adventure, complete with hikes, daily paddles, games and great food.

Cost: $355.00 + GST

Offering marine adventure since 1995!

May 2016 21

Considering your first home purchase?

Four secrets you need to know!

What to do and what not to do.

Call now to discuss a step-by-step approach to buying your first home.

250-891-6776 ConnieLebeau.ca ConnieLebeau@RoyalLePage.ca

Victoria & Vancouver Island 1-866-518-7287 Nanaimo 250-756-9794 Or online at: www.welcomewagon.ca

22 Island Parent Magazine

Products & Services for New Parents Abra-Kid-Abra carries new and used toys, clothing and furniture. Baby equipment and furniture rentals available. New products include dress up, ballet clothes, rainwear, sunwear, shoes, toys, carriers, cloth diapers and much more. 2005 Oak Bay Ave. 778265-5430. abra-kid-abra.com.

The Burnside Gorge Community Association offers Parent & Tot drop-in programs throughout the week that are free or lowcost. Drop-ins allow parents to meet other parents while their children play, learn and meet other children. Other Family Centre programs include: Fun for Little Ones, Kindergym, Toddler Art, and a Community Family Dinner. For program days, times, and drop-in fees please visit burnsidegorge. ca or call 250-388-5251.

The Children’s Treehouse. Nanaimo’s downtown destination for new moms and Grandma’s! Specializing in unique and quality toys for babies through pre-teens.

Extensive selection of well-known character board books and stuffies, specially selected for the imaginative young child. Baby and pre-school toys, science, craft kits, Folkmanis puppets, trains, Playmobil, dolls, puzzles, stickers and art. All guaranteed to keep developing young minds busy. Activity toys for beach, park, camping and bugcatching fun. An in-store play area keeps children busy while parents shop! Contact 250-714-0026, info@childrenstreehouse. ca, or childrenstreehouse.ca.

Community Farm Store. Introducing Bambo Nature Eco-friendly Disposable Diapers.

Disposable and eco-friendly?! That’s right. Of course, not only are they planetfriendly, they are baby-friendly too. With an extra breathable design free from harsh

chemicals, these diapers are truly the best of both worlds. You and your baby will love them. We have everything you need to help care for your babies: organic baby food, stainless steel bottles, reusable travel containers, food mills, locally-made hats, homeopathic remedies and nutritional support, handmade toys, gentle soaps and skin care and much more.2-5380 Hwy 1, Duncan. 250-748-6227.

At CTots we see each child entrusted into our care as a unique and precious gift, with infinite potential to absorb, grow, and become. We provide a unique experience that is based on Jewish values, which inspires all areas of development, producing a well-mannered, well-adjusted, happy and gracious individual. Give the little people in your family real tools for life! Ctots.com.

Kool & Child. For your child’s first teddy bear, teether, or book, check out our great selection of infant and toddler toys. We also carry an extensive collection of games, toys, and puzzles, for all members of your family—from siblings to grandparents, or even yourself. Come explore our store! 102-2517 Bowen Road, Nanaimo. 1-888-390-1775. koolandchild.com.

Momease Baby Boutique specializes in innovative and functional baby gear and parenting accessories. Now with two Victoria locations, we offer a wide selection of items including strollers, car seats, carriers, cribs, clothing, shoes, toys, books and more! We are passionate about helping you navigate the road to parenthood and beyond, so whether it’s creating a personalized baby gift registry, or a first outing with your newborn, we love spending time with new or expectant IslandParent.ca

parents. Visit us in The Shops At Mattick’s Farm at 5325 Cordova Bay Rd Victoria (778-265-5432), at our second location at 1581 Hillside Ave Victoria (778-265-5651), or online at momease.ca.

Mothering Touch Centre is the comprehensive resource centre for new and expectant parents. We offer support through every stage of pregnancy and early parenthood: childbirth preparation, pre-and post-natal yoga, breastfeeding support, parenting classes, parent-and-baby groups, and baby massage. Our friendly staff inform and support parents and grandparents as they select cloth diapers, nursing bras, breastpumps and breastfeeding accessories and much more. Drop in for a chat, nurse your baby in our lounge, and experience the warmth of the Mothering Touch. 975 Fort St. 250595-4905. motheringtouch.ca.

The Holistic Doula Certificate at Pacific Rim College, the most comprehensive Doula training offered in North America, is a 270-hour program that prepares students to work as Prenatal, Birth and Postpartum Doulas. The program bridges Western Medicine with holistic therapies by providing foundational training in many therapeutic approaches. Although no single therapeutic discipline taught is meant to be comprehensive, each component adds to the Doula’s competency and thus value to the labouring mother. By gaining extensive education in a variety of disciplines, program graduates are changing the current standards of what it means to be a Doula in North America. pacificrimcollege.ca.

Spina Bifida. Something so small can make such a big difference. Folic acid reduces the risk of birth defects such as spina bifida. It is found in some foods, but for most women, eating fortified food is not enough. To reach the recommended daily level you will need a vitamin supplement and it should be taken at least three months before pregnancy.

Help protect your baby before it is born by getting enough folic acid daily. sbhabc.org.

IslandParent.ca

We help Canadian families find reliable and caring nannies, caregivers and housekeepers. Tender Care Nannies & Manpower Services Ltd is a fully-licensed employment agency in British Columbia who provide live-in nannies/caregivers and other Temporary Foreign Skilled and Non Skilled Workers since 2004. Maxima (Emma ) Cusi Owner/Director is a member of Immigration Consultant of Canada Regulatory Council with good standing. We can help you find caring live-in/live-out, full-time nannies, babysitters and caregivers. We understand how difficult it can be to recruit the right nanny for your children, caregivers for your loves ones, so we’ve made every effort to make the process easy, fast and efficient.

For further information call or email us now and we are happy to assist you. tcimmigration.ca.

Parents, have you heard that Thrifty Foods has a virtual store? We know you don’t always have time to get to the grocery store, so we’re ready to help you. You make the selections and your shopper chooses the best quality products and packages your groceries just like you would so they get to you in excellent condition. The convenience of Thrifty Foods Online Shopping is that you can shop any time of the day that suits you or your baby. Upon delivery of your groceries, our driver will accept payment at your door using a wireless terminal (VISA, MasterCard, Amex, “Smile Card” or Debit).

Visit thriftyfoodsonline.com and let us do the shopping for you.

Whether it’s diapers or decor, TJ’s The Kiddies Store is the place to go for all your baby needs. Welcoming your new baby into the world is a wonderful and challenging experience; so many decisions and so little time. Our friendly and knowledgeable staff is ready to help make your decisions as stress-free as possible. Our selection varies from furniture sets to safety items and everything in between. TJ’s is also a great place for gifts—with a baby registry and many wonderful gift ideas you will be able to find the right thing to make any new parent happy. We’re easy to find at 3045-c Douglas St. (enter off Larch St)… we’re under Sleep Country. 250-386-2229.

Mark your calendars for September 24 and 25, 2016. The 10th annual Vancouver Island Baby Fair is happening at Pearkes Rec Centre. Celebrate your growing family

with us! Come visit an arena of exhibitors, a full lineup of main stage presentations, children’s performers, great shopping, parenting resources, fantastic prizes, our popular photo contest, baby races & more, for families ranging from pregnancy through preschool. Exhibitor registration is on now.

Go to VancouverIslandBabyFair.com for details or call 250-686-5693.

Victoria Midwives. Midwives care for women throughout pregnancy, birth and for six weeks postpartum. Midwives offer personalized care and provide education and counselling that address the physical, emotional, and cultural needs of women and their families. Midwives offer a choice of birthplace either in hospital, or at home.

Midwives provide breastfeeding support, ensure the mother is recovering from the birth, and monitor the baby’s growth. Midwifery care is covered by your care card. See our ad on page 8. midwivesinvictoria.ca.

Welcome Wagon’s New Parent Market reaches new mothers with greetings and congratulations personally presented at home after the birth of their babies. A package of pertinent information on civic and community services is presented, followed by a directory of our sponsors and token gifts from participating businesses, and where appropriate, printed invitations for the family to redeem at their place of business. We also do Baby Showers for expectant moms. There we provide civic and educational information. It is given to her before baby is born. For more information please visit welcomewagon.ca or call 1-866-518-7287.

West Shore Parks & Recreation offers a wide range of programs for young families and expectant parents. Our Toddler Social program is the perfect informal drop-in for you and your little one to explore music, activities and more. There are stroller fitness classes and pre-natal yoga, but if you are just looking to sneak in a workout, we offer child minding MondayFriday 9am-12:30pm. For information, visit westshorerecreation.ca or call 250-4788383. Find us on Facebook at facebook. com/westshorerecreation.•

May 2016 23

Island Parent Celebrating

28 Years

on for Vancouver Island

The Resource Publicati

Parents

Party Directory

Party Directory

May 2016

New & Expectant Parents Products & Services

Yo! Mama Tips, Advice & Ramblings Books for the Maternally Inclined

For a complete list of where you can find a copy of Island Parent Magazine, go to

7 Day Rentals from $149 250-881-2680 AffordableHotTubs.ca

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totallearningservices2014@gmail.com 24

Island Parent Magazine

IslandParent.ca

Party Directory Book your Par-T-Pet Party!

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Gymnastics

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Art Party

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Adults / Teens Bring Mom Mother’s Day Gift Friday Nights 7:00 to 9:00pm • Jewellery Making – May 6, 27, June 17 • Sculpture – May 13, June 3 & 24 • Acrylic Painting – May 20, June 10, July 1 Created by You • Supplies Included • $50 per Class

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250-380-2442 May 2016 25

Books for the Maternally Inclined T

hanks to our intrepid band of reviewer mamas—Serena Beck, Carol Henderson, Emillie Parrish, Andrea Turner, & Jane Vermeulen—who sought a quiet couple of minutes/hours here and there to tirelessly, uh, okay, gleefully read, and sometimes re-read, the following assortment of motherhood books.

Vitamin N: The Essential Guide to a NatureRich Life by Richard Louv Vitamin N is a follow up book to Richard Louv’s two previous publications on the same subject, Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder and The Nature Principle. I haven’t read either of those books so am missing some background to his perspective on Nature-Deficit Disorder. Nature-Deficit Disorder is a term that Louv coined to describe a host of behavioural problems that arise when we don’t spend enough time outdoors.

Louv focuses on children, although adults also suffer from being alienated from the natural world.

While Vitamin N doesn’t delve into a detailed discussion of Nature-Deficit Disorder, Louv does describe his philosophy through a series of short essays that are peppered throughout the book. Essentially, Vitamin N is a compendium of advice and ideas on how we can incorporate nature into our modern lives. Louv asserts that we need to take time away from technology in order to fully develop our life skills. That said, Louv also offers suggestions on how technology can be used to help kids enjoy nature.

Vitamin N is a book that would appeal to anyone looking for new and fresh ideas on how to get kids engaged in the outdoors. His advice is loosely organized by subject, and there is an index to help readers navigate the topics. A few of my favourite suggestions include: making a slug playground, going camping in your backyard or on your balcony, and taking turns with other parents in your neighbourhood to watch kids play together outside. EP

The Soul of Discipline: The Simplicity Parenting Approach to Warm, Firm, and Calm Guidance From Toddlers to Teens by Kim John Payne The principal concept in The Soul of Discipline is that children are not disobedient on purpose; they are just disoriented and need someone to be their “Governor, Gardener, and Guide.” The Governor phase is a time you need to show your toddler you are in charge (ages 2-8). The Gardener phase involves the ’tween in decision making, but the adult is still the main decision-maker (ages 9-13). The Guide oversees the teen years but parents plan together with their teens, and listen and guide their teen’s direction through family values (ages 13-19). These three concepts can also be applied at any age depending on the situation and what your child needs.

I’ve used many of the principles in this book to enhance my discipline style with my three kids under five. I’ve found the “Your World-My World-Our World” concept works great for transitioning from one activity to the next. First, you watch what your child is doing in her world to connect with her. Next, you talk about each of you finishing your tasks and then transition to the next task together.

The Gardener chapter describes ’tween emotions as “second-degree emotional sunburns.” Payne says “That is how sensitive your daughter is to your tone and body language.” These “emotional sunburns” definitely apply to tired toddlers as well.

The book is well organized and includes “Pause Points” to help you think about how to apply the tactics to your parenting. There are also many stories and examples to help explain the discipline styles. The “Avoiding Discipline Fads” chapter was entertaining because I could relate to falling for some of these fads myself. I will definitely referIslandParent.ca

ence this book again when my toddlers are teenagers. SB Hands Off My Belly: The Pregnant Woman’s Survival Guide to Myths, Mothers and Moods

by Shawn Tassone and Kathryn Landherr I read Hands Off My Belly about two weeks after giving birth to my second child.

I read the book with the knowledge that I could reflect on my pregnancy and the fears that dictated my life for the past nine months. The book was easy to read and the material was presented in a manner that was understandable and relatable.

The authors, a husband-wife team of obstetricians practicing in Arizona, divide the book into six sections starting with infertility and conception and ending with tips to enjoy your pregnancy. The authors have four children and use anecdotes from their own experiences and their patients throughout the book as examples of reallife scenarios. Since the book is presented primarily in a question-answer style, it is easy to pick up and read small sections if you’re pressed for time. I left the book in my purse and could easily read a few pages at a time. The material is often humorous, particularly the section on myths about determining gender.

My only criticism is that the book did not cover pregnancy complications. During my two pregnancies, I had a breech baby, gestational diabetes and two c-sections. There was very little information in the book about these common complications, something I found surprising. This book would be useful to a woman who is considering pregnancy or is in her first trimester, especially if she was confronted with old wives tales and misinformation. It is not a replacement for medical advice from your own doctor or from a midwife, but it is certainly an entertaining and informative read. JV Discipline Without Damage by Vanessa Lapointe Discipline Without Damage is a quick read, brief and to the point. The book demonstrates how children continually seek connection to feel safe and that all behaviour stems from this ultimate need to connect with their “big” people. Lapointe explains that employing traditional discipline methods such as time-outs, rewards and punishments can further disconnect children from their parents because those measures are grounded in a need to control children. This can ultimately affect whether or not children feel safe and are able to IslandParent.ca

self-regulate. This book complements any parenting book on mindful parenting as it provides the underlying psychology research and a lot of practical examples. Lapointe’s quick and catchy metaphors help make the application of her strategies easier to put into action. She uses empathy brilliantly to help pave a pathway of understanding for parents so that they can learn and address their children’s deep underlying needs with care and compassion. This approach takes the focus away from the behaviours and looks at the underlying cause of them instead. Children behave a certain way to meet a particular need. I love her ultimate message that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to children, but that using our intuition and trusting ourselves is at the foundation to raising resilient and securely attached children. The section on how to cultivate inner trust and intuition is one part of the book that feels underdeveloped and is often a common struggle for parents. All in all, the book’s approach to discipline is a helpful repertoire to include in any parent’s toolkit. AT Choosing Hope: A Mother’s Story of Love, Loss and Survival by Ginny Dennehy with Shelley Fralic

Choosing Hope is a story of an unspeakable loss followed by the strength and the will to survive in order to help others. How can parents go on after losing not just one child, but two in the space of eight years.

Life was good for Ginny and Kerry Dennehy. They had everything going for them: beautiful children and a great life in Whistler.

However, it wasn’t long before they realized that something was dreadfully wrong—they discovered that their son, Kelty, was plagued by severe depression. Unable to cope with his life, Kelty committed suicide at the age of 17. His sister, Riley, died eight years later from a heart attack in Thailand. Ginny Dennehy takes solace in knowing her children are together, buried next to each other in Whistler, a place which they loved. When asked how she keeps on going, Ginny tells people she does it to honour her children by living a healthy life.

The Dennehy’s established the ‘Kelty Patrick Dennehy Foundation to address the issue of depression and alert other parents to the onset of this frightening mental illness.

The foundation works to support young people who are so severely depressed that they often feel there is no help available and suicide is the only choice. Ginny chose hope. CH

Distributed by IMAX CORPORATION. ©2016 IMAX CORPORATION. IMAX® IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF IMAX CORPORATION.

Distributed by IMAX CORPORATION. ©2016 IMAX CORPORATION. IMAX® IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF IMAX CORPORATION.

250.480.4887 imaxvictoria.com May 2016 27

May 2016

Generously Sponsored by and

Family Calendar For calendar updates throughout the month visit IslandParent.ca sun 1 17th Ultimate Hobby & Toy Fair at Pearkes Arena. Over 200 tables with action figures, vintage toys, models, trains, comics, Barbie, dolls, bears, LEGO, video games, Star Wars, GI Joe, Transformers, diecast cars, Hot Wheels, vinyl records and more. Local food vendors.

General admission: 9am-3pm, $5/adults; kids free. Early bird entry for the serious collector: 8-9am, $15. Free door prize entry with admission. Dress in costume for extra door prize entry. Silent auction for the MS Society.

Charity Carnival Games with all proceeds to the BC Children’s Hospital. ultimatetoyfair. com for more details.

Geocaching Adventure at Elk/Beaver Lake Regional Park. Have a blast and come geocache with guest presenters Helen and Chris Edley and a CRD Regional Parks naturalist.

Geocaching is an interactive treasure hunt played using your smart phone or GPS. On this family adventure you will be introduced to the exciting world of geocaching while enjoying this popular regional park. All ages. 1-2:30pm. $10/family + GST. Pre-registration required by April 28 as space is limited. BC Transit #70 or #72. 250-478-3344. crd.bc.ca/parks.

MON 2 Baby Chat at Central and Juan de Fuca Branch Libraries. Stay after drop-in Baby Time to learn about baby care and other child development topics from Island Health practitioners. Drop

28 Island Parent Magazine

in, space permitting. For babies 0-15 months and parent or caregiver. 11-11:30am. 250940-GVPL (4875). gvpl.ca.

TUES 10

Free Comic Book Day at Central Branch Library. Drop in to get your free comic and more. Dress up as your favourite character, enter to win awesome stuff, and check out the library’s selection of comics, manga and graphic novels. A free comic for everyone, or two if you dress up—while supplies last. Drop in between 9am-noon. Everyone welcome.

Emergency Preparedness Workshop at Burnside Gorge Community Centre. Make emergency preparedness a priority. Learn about the hazards that can affect Victoria, what to include in your home emergency kit, what you can do to minimize injury and protect your home from an earthquake, and how to reunite with loved ones after a disaster. An emergency kit will also come in handy in the event of a power outage or winter storm. 7-9pm. To register, email vema@victoria.ca or call 250920-3373. PrepareVictoria.ca.

SAT 7 & SUN 8

WED 11

Fairfield Artists Studio Tour in Fairfield. A self-guided tour that provides art lovers with an opportunity to meet local artists, tour their studios and view their work while exploring the beautiful neighbourhood of Fairfield. Visit the map page at fairfieldartisststudiotour.com/ map.htm to plan your route.

Author Wesley King at Juan de Fuca Branch Library. Join Wesley King, the author of the award-winning Vindico series, The Incredible Space Raiders (From Space!), OC Daniel, and Dragons vs. Drones, as he explores a wide range of topics from how to write your own stories, the importance of editing, and self-confidence to write slightly more unique concepts like how to embrace weird and why trying to become a Jedi isn’t a complete waste of time. For Grades 6-8 and home learners of equivalent age. 10-11am. Register at gvpl.ca or call 940-GVPL (4875) for more information.

SAT 7

sun 8 The Beach Rocks at Island View Beach Regional Park. The tide is out. Join a CRD Regional Parks naturalist and get a glimpse of the creatures that live beneath the rocks.

Be prepared to get your feet wet (bring sandals or beach shoes). Meet at the grassy area adjacent to the picnic shelter off Homathko Rd at 12:30pm. All ages. 250-478-3344. crd. bc.ca/parks.

Emergency Preparedness Workshop at Central Branch Library. See TUES 10 for details.

10am-noon. To register, email vema@victoria. ca or call 250-920-3373. PrepareVictoria.ca.

IslandParent.ca

FRI 13 Minute to Win it at Panorama Recreation.

From Ka-Boom to Card Ninja, find your favourite Minute to Win it challenges in the Teen Lounge. Great prizes to be won. For 11-16 year olds. Free. 5:30-7:30pm. 1885 Forest Park Dr. 250-656-7271. panoramarecreation.ca.

SAT 14 & SUN 15 Buccaneer Days at Archie Browning Sports Centre’s Curling Rink. Join the Esquimalt Branch library in celebrating Buccaneer Days.

They will have a table at the Archie Browning Sports Centre’s Curling Rink with give-aways, prize draws and button making. Come and meet the great staff of your library. Sat: 10am5pm; Sun: 10am-4pm.

SUN 15 Beginner Birding Basics at Island View Beach Regional Park. Have you ever wanted to bird watch? This is a great time of the year for birding as courtship and territory disputes fill the air with song. Join CRD Regional Parks guest naturalist, David Allinson, to learn what to look for, and how to use binoculars and field guides. Bring binoculars if you have them. A spotting scope is provided. Meet at the grassy area adjacent to the picnic shelter off Homathko Rd at 9:30am. 9+ years. 250478-3344. crd.bc.ca/parks.

Oaklands Street Party on Haultain St. Join the Oaklands Community Association for a jampacked, family-friendly day at Haultain Four Corners featuring free workshops, food trucks, a bouncy castle provided by Par-T-Perfect, buskers, parklets and over 50 garage sales throughout the Oaklands neighbourhood. A map of the households will be available at the street party and at oaklandscommunitycentre. com. 10am-4pm. Haultain between Asquith St. and Forbes St.

MON 16 Victoria Children’s Literature Roundtable at Saanich Centennial Branch Library. Meet

Chris Tougas, the award-winning author and illustrator of children’s picture books, including Mechanimals, Art’s Supplies, Dojo Daycare and its sequels, Dojo Daytrip and Dojo Surprise. Chris has also worked as an animation character designer and writer for Disney, Warner Brothers, Sesame Workshop, and many other companies. Chris will read from his own books and discuss choices that were made along the way as both a writer and illustrator. He will also share new work and discuss his experience working with book publishers and Hollywood producers.

VCLR is open to the public. Doors open at 7pm so you can browse the booksale items from School House Teaching Supplies and the Children’s Bookstore before the presentation begins at 7:30pm. Members free; $5/drop-in; $4/students. For more information, call 250884-1346.

Stories on Fern Street. The Victoria Storytellers Guild welcomes you to hear and tell stories. For people who love to tell stories, for people who love to listen, for people of all ages. Tea and goodies. Doors open at 7:15pm, stories start at 7:30pm. 1831 Fern St (park on Begbie). $5; $3/students. 250-477-7044. victoriastorytellers.org.

thurs 19 Author Paul Zehr at Central Branch Library.

Learn about your inner superhero. Awardwinning professor and author Paul Zehr will read from his acclaimed recent pop-sci book Project Superhero, which won the Silver Medal for Juvenile Fiction in 2015. For Grades 6-8 and home learners of equivalent age. 1-2pm.

Register at gvpl.ca or call 250-940-GVPL (4875) for more information.

FRI 20 Lego at the Library at Central Branch Library.

Listen to stories and have fun with the library’s Lego. Bring your own Lego for a take-home project. For ages 7-10. 1:30-2:30pm. Register at gvpl.ca or call 250-940-GVPL (4875) for more information.

TM

sat 21 Sandy Shore Explore at Witty’s Lagoon Regional Park. Join a CRD Regional Parks naturalist for an intertidal exploration and discover the strange and wonderful creatures that appear between the tides. Be prepared to get your feet wet (bring sandals or beach shoes). Meet on the main beach. Park in the main parking lot off Metchosin Rd and follow the 20-minute forest trail to the beach. Please note the trail to the beach is not stroller friendly.

All ages. 10-11:30am. BC Transit #54 or #55.

250-478-3344. crd.bc.ca/parks

wed 25 Coast Capital Free Swim at Panorama Recreation. Bring the whole family for a night of active fun. The waterslide and climbing wall will be open for this everyone welcome swim.

6-7:30pm. Free. 1885 Forest Park Dr. 250656-7271. panoramarecreation.ca.

SAT 28 Bear Necessities at Witty’s Lagoon Regional Park. We can co-exist with these magnificent forest dwellers. Join a CRD Regional Parks naturalist to learn about the natural history of the black bear. Meet at Witty’s Lagoon Nature Centre off Metchosin Rd at 1pm. All ages. BC Transit #54 or #55. 250-478-3344. crd.bc.ca/parks.

Love at f irst Bite It’s the best of the best Sterling Silver beef is cut from the top 12% of Canada AAA beef. Each cut are naturally aged no fewer than 21 days to maximize tenderness and richness of flavour.

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IslandParent.ca

May 2016 29

Hamster Balls at Panorama Recreation.

Extreme teen event. Have a ball at the Teen Lounge rolling around inside of the Games2U giant inflatable hamster balls. For 11-16 year olds. 6-8pm. Free. 1885 Forest Park Dr. 250656-7271. panoramarecreation.ca.

sun 29 14th Annual Bioregional Fair at Oak and Orca School. Free family fun featuring children’s activities, penny arcade and craft table, bake and book sales, silent auction of local and ecofriendly items, bioregional displays and crafts.

11am-3pm. 2738 Higgins St. 250-383-6609.

Bee Day at Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary. A honey of a program fit for the royalty of the insect world. What’s the buzz about bees—are they really good dancers?

Bee exploration, bee crafts, and some bee spit to taste. Come and bee amazed, bee enchanted, and bee happy. Bee there or bee square. Noon-3pm drop-in. Admission by donation. 3873 Swan Lake Rd. 250-479-0211. swanlake.bc.ca.

tues 31 Zone’In Presentation at St. Margaret’s School.

Part of an ongoing community workshop series to inform parents of the latest research and trends affecting girls, education, and parenting.

Guest speaker, Kris Rowan, an occupational

therapist, advocates for families to unplug and go outside to renew connections with each other and with nature. This workshop will look at the cognitive impacts of technology addiction and nature deficit disorder, and strategies to reduce tech use in your family.

7-9pm. 1080 Lucas Ave. Free. Open to public.

Register at stmarg.ca.

ONGOING BABIES, TODDLERS & PRESCHOOL Drop-in Storytimes at the Greater Victoria Public Library. Caregivers are welcome and encouraged to participate. Storytimes are free and drop-in. Please come early to find a space.

For a complete schedule of drop-in programs, visit gvpl.ca or call 250-940-GVPL (4875) for more information.

Good Morning Storytime at Sidney/North Saanich Branch Library. Bring your littlest ones to the library for stories, songs, rhymes and lots of movement. For 0-5 years. Drop in. Thursdays April 7-June 1, 10:15-11am.

CHILDREN Volunteer Opportunities for Tweens at the Greater Victoria Public Library. Are you a tween looking for a volunteer opportunity? Do you like working with children and enjoy sto-

ries? GVPL’s Story Buddies program provides an opportunity to volunteer and work with kids. To find out more, visit gvpl.ca/about-us/ work-with-us/tween-volunteers or call 250940-GVPL (4875). Toddler Art Drop-in at Burnside Gorge Community Centre. Explore your creative side. Each week features a different craft designed with the preschooler in mind. Smocks and soap provided. Creative activities can be messy, so please dress children appropriately. Parent participation required.

9:30-10:30am. $1/child.

YOUTH Volunteer Opportunities for Teens at the Greater Victoria Public Library. The GVPL has great volunteer opportunities for teens.

For more information, visit gvpl.ca/about-us/ work-with-us/teen-volunteers.

FAMILIES Young Parent Drop-in at the YM/YWCA. The Y Young Moms Program hosts a free breakfast and drop-in for young parents in the community. Come enjoy a hot meal, socialize with other young parents, enjoy a kids’ craft, let your little one explore the fully equipped playroom, or have a look in the ‘free store’ for gently used children’s items and household supplies. 10am-noon. Call 250-382-1004 for more information.

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IslandParent.ca

Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Support Circles. Every second Tuesday morning from 9:30-11:30am or every second Wednesday evening from 6:30-8:30pm. A safe supportive place to meet others in a similar situation and to share information and resources. Call 250-384-8042 for more information, or visit parentsupportbc.ca. Province-wide toll free information and support line at 1-855-4749777 or email grgline@parentsupportbc.ca.

Recyclistas Bicycle Repair Classes at Recyclistas Bike Shop. Affordable classes twice weekly. Learn how to safely and effectively fix, maintain and rebuild bicycles. Thursdays 4-7pm, and Saturdays 1-4pm. $25/adults; $13/ youth 10-18. Pre-register by calling 250-4188867. recyclistas.ca.

Guided Birdwalks at Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary. Bring your binoculars and walking shoes and meet in the parking lot for this informal and informative walk around the lake area. 9am. By donation. 3873 Swan Lake Rd. swanlake.bc.ca•

Transforming disability into ability.

At Discovery School, learning disabilities are transformed into valuable skills and abilities. Students work at their own pace in small classes, with focused, individualized instruction.

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Enrolment is limited. For more information or to arrange a tour, visit www.discoveryschool.ca, call Sherri Ko at 250-595-7765 or email principal@discoveryschool.ca IslandParent.ca

May 2016 31

Share what it means to be Canadian.

Just by being yourself.

As a UVic Homestay Host, you’ll have a unique opportunity to share your perspective on a Canadian lifestyle with young people from other countries this summer.

We’re interviewing now to find new Homestay Hosts for our English Language Centre students.

Do you: Live within 45 mins. of UVic by public transit?

Speak English at home?

Have any private, furnished rooms available?

Our award-winning program staff support you every step of the way and qualifying hosts can receive up to $850 per month.

Make new friends, learn about other cultures, and join a very special group of people who like to make a difference in the world.

Just be yourself.

Find out more at: uvic.ca/homestay Contact us now to find out how to qualify: Email: homestay@uvcs.uvic.ca Phone: 250-472-4268 In person: English Language Centre, Continuing Studies Building (2nd floor reception), Ring Road at Gabriola Road, UVic Campus

Around the Island Visit IslandParent.ca for these and other events and resources for families from Cowichan Valley north to Campbell River and west to Tofino SUN 1 – SAT 7 Youth Week in Parksville/Qualicum. Youth Week is a national celebration of youth held annually. It is a week of fun and celebration intended to build a strong connection between young people and their communities. To find out what’s happening or to get involved, check out rdnyouth.ca or contact Kelly Valade at 250-248-3252 or kvalade@rdn.bc.ca.

MON 2 Youth Week Dodgeball at Oliver Woods Community Centre. Come down for some great sport action. Free, but you must preregister. For 10-18 year olds. 6:30-8:30pm.

250-756-5200.

TUES 3 Youth Week Cartooning Workshop at Beban Social Centre. Join local artist, Helen Binns, and learn some basic drawing and cartooning techniques. Free, but please pre-register. For 10-18 year olds. 4-6pm. 250-756-5200.

WED 4 Glow in the Dark Skate at Cliff McNabb Arena. Skate in an atmosphere of dimmed lighting and special effects. Regular admission.

Glow necklaces available for $2. 6:30-8pm.

250-756-5200.

Sing, Sing, Sing Workshop at Qualicum Commons. Sharon Tomczyck will teach you how to sing and perform a popular song in two or three-part harmony in this two hour workshop. For 13+ years. 6:30-8:30pm. $20/ person. 250-248-3252. rdn.bc.ca/recreation.

THURS 5 Youth Week Movie Night at Beban Social Centre. Relax with friends to watch a movie and have some popcorn. Free, but please pre-register. For 10-18 year olds. 6:30-9pm.

250-756-5200.

FRI 6 Nanaimo Community Home Learners (NCHL) Monthly Meet-up at Oliver Woods Community Centre. Resource library, gym time, and parent support. 1-4pm. $5 dropin fee/family or $20 year-long membership. nanaimocommunityhomelearners.org.

Youth Week Floor Hockey at Oliver Woods Community Centre. A great way to spend a

32 Island Parent Magazine

Friday night. If you have a plastic stick, feel free to bring it, or borrow one. Free, but please pre-register. For 12-18 year olds. 7-9pm. 250756-5200.

Youth Week Teen Swim at Ravensong Aquatic Centre. Celebrate Youth Week with a free swim. 7-9pm. For 13-18 year olds. 250-2483252. rdn.bc.ca/recreation.

SAT 7 Free Your Voice Workshop at Qualicum Commons. Free your authentic singing voice in this playful and informative vocal lesson workshop. 1-3pm. 14+ years. $20/person.

250-248-3252. rdn.bc.ca/recreation.

Jungle Safari at Beban Park Pool. Get wild!

Fun activities for the whole family with junglethemed games and competitions. 4-6pm.

250-756-5200.

SUN 8 Wiggling Worms at Bowen Park, Lower Picnic Shelter. Are worms really slimy? Ever wondered what they eat or which end is their head? Come out and learn through games, crafts and stories.

This is a parent participation course. This is a parent participation program. For 3-6 year olds. 11am-noon. $8/person. 250-756-5200.

TUES 10 Move for Health Day: Family Pickleball at Oceanside Place Arena. Pickleball is an excellent exercise and can be played by all ages.

Families are invited to come and learn the game for free between 5-7pm. Experienced instructors will be on hand to instruct players on the basics of the game. All supplies will be available to try the game. 250-248-3252. rdn. bc.ca/recreation.

THURS 12 People, Plants and Bugs Nature Walk at Lighthouse Country Regional Trail. Enjoy a stroll along the trail as the park naturalist reveals the many local plants that you could use for your own survival and comfort on a daily basis. 10am-noon. $15.50/person. 250248-3252. rdn.bc.ca/recreation.

FRI 13 Nature’s Recyclers at Colliery Dam. Do you recycle? Compare fallen trees and what causes rot and have a look at decomposers. This is

IslandParent.ca

a parent participation course. 3-6 year olds: 9:30-10:30am, $8/person; 6 to 12 year olds, $12/person: 11am-12:30pm. 250-756-5200.

Pro D Day Swim at Ravensong Aquatic Centre.

School is out for the day, so stay active at the Pro D Day swim. 1-2pm. Reduced admission.

250-752-5014. rdn.bc.ca/recreation.

SAT 14 The Great Garage Sale at Oceanside Place Arena. Clean out that attic and sell no longer needed items. The arena will be transformed into a giant flea market with lots of room for those wonderful treasures. Whether you are a buyer or a seller, this is where you will want to be, rain or shine. Book your space today.

9am-1pm. Free admission. 250-248-3252. rdn.bc.ca/recreation.

SUN 15 Learn to Fish at Colliery Dam. Learn about fish identification, conservation, handling, tackle and rod rigging. Sponsored by the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation and presented by the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC. All equipment is provided, and program runs rain or shine. For 5-15 year olds. Children must be accompanied by an adult. 1-3pm. Free.

250-756-5200.

MON 18

spiders and what they eat, the types of webs they spin and why. This is a parent participation course. 3 to 6 year olds: 9:30-10:30am, $8/person; 6-12 year olds: 11am-12:30pm, $12/person. 250-756-5200.

SUN 29 Learn to Fish at Colliery Dam. See SUN 15 for details. Children must be accompanied by an adult. For 5-15 year olds. 1-3pm. Free.

250-756-5200.

TUES 31 Bird Tour at Moorecroft Regional Park. Bring your camera and binoculars for a walk with RLC Park Naturalists. This two-hour tour will delight novice and expert bird watchers as this beautiful park is home to a diverse list of species. Please register. $15.50/person. 7:309:30am. 250-248-3252. rdn.bc.ca/recreation.

ONGOING PRESCHOOL Mornings with LaFF at the Aggie. Staff and participants create play-based learning stations to explore and enjoy. Bring food to share & make a healthy snack together while making new friends. Monday to Friday, 9:30am-

noon. $2 suggested donation per family. familyandfriends.ca.

Family Storytime at Cowichan Library, Duncan. Bring the whole family for stories, songs, rhymes and fun. For ages 0-5. Tuesdays 10:3011:30am. 2687 James St. krumohr@virl.bc.ca.

FAMILY Drop-in Science Studio at Departure Bay Eco School. At Nanaimo Science and Sustainability Society’s Science studio, kids are encouraged to explore the many interactive displays and activities. Activities include: 8 foot marble wall, 2,000 KEVA blocks, kid-friendly microscopes, wind tunnels, a high-powered air field, math puzzles, sign-out activities, and more. For safety purposes, children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. $4/child; adults free.

Tuesday-Thursday 10am-noon; Thursdays 3-5pm; Saturdays 9am-noon. Schedule subject to change, so please check nanaimoscience.org for most current schedule.

Lions Free Skate at Frank Crane Arena. Every Sunday noon-1:30pm. 250-756-5200.

10th Annual Golden Shoe Hunt in Oceanside.

Find the Golden shoe that will be hidden in RDN parks this spring. Clues for the shoe locations will be posted weekly to rdn.bc.ca/ recreation, RDN Facebook and RDN Twitter starting Friday, April 15.•

National Lifejacket Day at Ravensong Aquatic Centre. In partnership with the Canadian Red Cross. Come to the Water Safety swim to see Lifeguards in action. 6:30-8pm. Everyone welcome. Regular admission. 250-248-3252. rdn.bc.ca/recreation.

WED 18 Glow in the Dark Skate at Cliff McNabb Arena. Skate in an atmosphere of dimmed lighting and special effects. Regular admission.

Glow necklaces available for $2. 6:30-8pm.

250-756-5200.

SAT 21 Frozen Swim at Ravensong Aquatic Centre.

A certain princess will be making another appearance. Come enjoy games, crafts, and frozen fun during the family swim from 10am-noon.

250-752-5014. rdn.bc.ca/recreation.

FRI 27 Extreme Teen Swim at Ravensong Aquatic Centre. Things get extreme with activities geared to the teen crowd. Be prepared for exclusive access to the Dino Ribs inflatable toy, great music and more. 7-9pm. For 13-19 year olds. $2. 250-248-3252. rdn.bc.ca/recreation.

SAT 28 Silly Spiders at Linley Valley. Are your spidey senses tingling? Explore the amazing world of

IslandParent.ca

May 2016 33

Shannon K. Auringer

Gamer-Mama

Don’t hate the player—or the game

I

wouldn’t exactly say that I was ever a parent against video games. I grew up in the Nintendo era: the beginning of it all, with the original colour gaming system that had kids playing with the game instead of at the game for the first time. Before that, choices were limited to the Commodore ’64 with its classic minimal interaction—Pong, Bubble Bobble and Pac Man. It was exciting. Super Mario, his brother Luigi and all their sidekicks would go on adventures and we would trail along with them. Mario bumped mushrooms for coins and eventually saved Princess Peaches from the Evil Bowser.

As fun as these games were, they remained just that, games we played when it rained or when you had no one to play with. There was no internet, no online experience. I admit though, I had been guilty on more than a few occasions of pulling an all-day bender with my 70-year-old aunt who had

34 Island Parent Magazine

the funds to buy the system and new games the day they hit the store. We would play, eat snacks and take turns shouting, “Don’t go that way, Mario!?” But Mario had no choice; ultimately there was one way to find the princess, there was no going back.

We would get locked in chambers or fight bosses over and over until we won the game.

My Aunty Sheila was crowned the family Mario champ as she upgraded machines and dominated each one.

But that’s where it ended with these games; you won. Maybe it took a while, but once you reached the goal, that was the end. Sure, you could play again and again, but the adventure was the same blueprint with each re-do, a one way train ride without detours or side adventures. Then it was on to the next game.

When I had my own children, this idea of video games didn’t really get me too wound up. My friends had strong opinions and set

their kids on timers or specific days. They could see no value past fun, and fun needed to be regulated. I considered myself agnostic when it came to gaming. I didn’t really see the point or harm as long as there was some life balance. But let’s face it, video games have changed. Now, kids all have their own preferred operating systems: Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3 or 4 and the PC. I’m sure there are more. They wear headsets, play the game and chat in live time with their friends while each sits in their own house. I would talk to my son about these games and the potential to peel so many hours off the clock at one sitting. I worried that he was just dumbing out his brain with mind-numbing nothing characters and pre-determined outcomes. Then one day, he said, “You just don’t know, Mom. You’ve got to play it, to get it.” So I did.

Getting started was the hard part, which was odd because it seemed like the easiest.

Buy a game, right? Wrong. I bought three games for the Xbox that were just for me. No kids allowed. That’s when I realized, I was controller-challenged. The buttons were in weird places and I couldn’t remember what they did. I couldn’t move fast enough and I was being killed before I took six steps. I was frustrated. I could see this amazing world

IslandParent.ca

just out of my reach, but couldn’t quite get there. It was like the dog treat on the nose trick—only I never got the treat because I couldn’t do the trick. So I quit and went back to not understanding video games only now equipped with this weird anger directed at game controllers. Until I discovered PC games that is. Now, this I could understand.

Keyboards are universal and as a writer, I am no stranger to that land. Game on!

A friend recruited me to try a game that’s known as RPG—kid code for role playing games. I picked a character, got myself some clothes and loaded up with some quests. For two days, I immersed myself into this world and it was exhilarating. Afterwards, I totally got why kids loved it. But, I also understood what they were getting out of it. It wasn’t time wasted on a useless fantasy world. Not at all, I found that my brain actually got a workout with all the multi-tasking and problem solving I had to do. These quests weren’t easy.

There was a strategy to being successful and so many different ways to fail. There was even the social aspect to contend with. I was able to chat with people during the game, that I would never have the opportunity to meet in real life. We would exchange strategic ideas, work together to execute plans and banter about real life and world events. I could even play the game with my kids. When we met up in a distant land, I wasn’t mom and they weren’t the kids. We were peers—warriors.

We did battle, raided for gold and bonded.

Technology is here to stay and is only going to become more integrated in our everyday lives. Though I am not one of those parents that let my kids lose days of their lives to Call of Duty Black Ops or Battlefield 4, I do see that they get more out of it than braindump time. Entering that world for them has allowed me to see what they see, so I can better understand with them. I can talk to them about their games and also guide them in the ongoing challenge of life-balance.

These people are going to grow up and be on their own soon. I don’t want them to be accustomed to just doing what they’re told.

I want them to be good at making choices and understanding consequences. I want them to be able to navigate life-balance for themselves. Who says they can’t have a little fun on that journey.

Shannon K. Auringer is a single-writer-mama living in Victoria, BC. She is on a life-journey to raise her four tweens-to-teens to be resilient souls and independent thinkers. More of her work can be found at skauringer.com.

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Fall & Homeschool classes also available

IslandParent.ca

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May 2016 35

Serena Beck

Emotional Clothing Hoarder A

s a child, I despised hearing adults say “Look how much you’ve grown.

I remember when you were just this big (holding up a hand to indicate the size of a two-year-old child).” I always thought: Of course I am growing up and I can’t wait until I am older and can do… (insert cool activity my older brother gets to do here).

Now that I am a mom to three kids under five, I catch myself using this same phrase.

I show my kids their heights and ages on our growth chart. I methodically add the monthly, half-year and full-year measurement reminders to my calendar to ensure I don’t miss recording a single milestone. I show my kids the tiny running shoes they used to fit into. My four-year-old daughter enjoys helping dress her baby sister in her old clothes. After her baby sister outgrows them, her dolly gets the hand-me-downs.

I remember who bought the kids each outfit and when and where each child wore it. I grow teary eyed at the sight of the white linen dress with the mauve and mint strips at

the bottom. I have so many pictures of my daughter wearing this dress on our first family vacation. There is a picture of her and my husband holding hands on the beach. There are so many memories of the first sleeper each child wore, the outfit each one wore for his or her first steps, first words. There is the rubber ducky romper that I wore as a child and both my daughters wore. It has a quacker inside the outfit that still quacks.

The list grows as does the leaning tower of old clothing bins in my shed, under my stairs and in the garage.

I have become an emotional clothing hoarder. I’ve tried to use the excuse of saving all these items as hand-me-downs from child to child. However, we’re now complete as a family of five—and I can no longer get our bikes out of the shed.

I know I have the pictures and the memories, but some of the favourite clothes are too hard to part with. I keep a small pile of absolute favourites for my kids’ kids and for their dolls. The rest of the bins will be

donated, given away, or sold. Someone else will get great use of out of them. I now look at the expression “Look how much you’ve

grown” in a new light. It’s time for another mom to watch her child take her first steps in that green ruffled floral dress.

Serena Beck works full-time as a technical writer and enjoys writing magazine articles.

She also loves spending time with her family at the beach.

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IslandParent.ca

May 2016  37

Hepatitis B Awareness What is Hepatitis B?

Healthy Families, Happy Families

Child, Youth & Family Public Health South Island Health Units Esquimalt Gulf Islands

250-519-5311 250-539-3099

(toll-free number for office in Saanichton)

Peninsula Saanich Saltspring Island Sooke Victoria West Shore

250-544-2400 250-519-5100 250-538-4880 250-642-5464 250-388-2200 250-519-3490

Central Island Health Units Duncan 250-709-3050 Ladysmith 250-755-3342 Lake Cowichan 250-749-6878 Nanaimo 250-755-3342 Nanaimo Princess Royal 250-755-3342 Parksville/Qualicum 250-947-8242 Port Alberni 250-731-1315 Tofino 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

www.viha.ca/prevention_services/

38 Island Parent Magazine

The Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is common worldwide. Hepatitis B is a liver disease caused by the Hepatitis B virus. HBV is far more infectious than HIV and can be prevented by a vaccine. People who have not been vaccinated may be at risk of getting infected. If an unprotected person is exposed, the bloodstream transports the virus to the liver where the virus reproduces itself many times.

Individuals chronically infected with HBV are 100 times more likely to develop liver cancer than uninfected people because the virus directly and repeatedly attacks the liver.

Worldwide, chronic HBV infection causes 80 per cent of all primary liver cancers.

More than 500,000 people die each year from this lethal cancer.

Healthy Families, Happy Families

Why is the liver important?

The liver plays a key role in a person’s overall health. It helps digest food and stores vitamins and minerals. Most importantly, the liver acts as a filter for chemicals and other substances that enter the body. It is important in the production of blood and many of the proteins that keep the human body working.

What are symptoms of Hepatitis B disease?

Many people infected with HBV do not know they have the virus because symptoms can take two to six months to appear and only about 50 per cent of people develop symptoms. Even without symptoms, the infection can be spread to others.

Adults may have a brief illness with mild or moderate symptoms such as jaundice, dark urine, fatigue, abdominal discomfort, and loss of appetite. Adults have a 90 per cent chance of completely clearing a Hepatitis B infection and developing lifelong protection against the virus. The remaining eight to 10 per cent cannot clear the virus and become chronically infected. In less than one per cent of cases, the acute infection leads to severe illness which results in death if a liver transplant cannot be performed.

While most babies and children exposed to HBV never have signs and symptoms of illness, their risk of becoming chronically infected is higher the younger they are at the time of infection. That is, Hepatitis B infection becomes chronic in more than 90 per cent of infants, about 25 to 50 per cent of children aged one to five years, and less than five per cent of older children. Often, chronic infections are not “picked up” until much later in life when the person becomes seriously ill with liver disease such as cirrhosis (scarring of the liver), liver cancer, and liver failure.

Ch ild Y outh & Family Pub lic Health

KATHY PALMER

The virus can reactivate in healthy people who have inactive chronic HBV disease if their immune system is weakened by other viral infections or medicines such as chemotherapy.

How is Hepatitis B spread?

The Hepatitis B virus can survive outside the body for at least seven days and can be present in high concentrations on inanimate objects, even if there is no visible blood.

Contact with infected blood, semen, and vaginal secretions can spread HBV: • Unprotected sexual contact, sharing needles and/or snorting equipment for drug users, re-use of contaminated needles and syringes • From mother to child during birth • Sharing of razor blades, toothbrushes, scissors, or nail clippers with an infected person • Prolonged, close personal contact with an infected person from contact with drainage from wounds or contaminated surfaces • Bite wounds containing blood from an infected person • Needle stick or sharp equipment injuries in health-care settings • Use of shared or contaminated medical or dental devices • Tattooing, body piercing or acupuncture and pedicures or manicures when unsterile equipment or techniques are used • Exposure to blood, blood products or organ transplantation in Canada prior to 1970

Hepatitis B is NOT spread: • By casual contact such as hugging, kissing or shaking hands or by being around IslandParent.ca

someone who is sneezing or coughing such as in schools or the workplace • It cannot be spread by breastfeeding unless the nipples are cracked and bleeding • Through food or water • Transmission through saliva not visibly contaminated with blood is uncommon • Using the same eating utensils, sharing food or drinks

How common is Hepatitis B disease?

In developing countries with primitive or limited medical facilities, 10 to 15 out of every 100 persons (10 to 15 per cent) have chronic HBV infections. In areas of Africa and Asia, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and the Pacific Islands widespread infection may occur in infancy and childhood.

Prevalence is lowest in countries with the highest standards of living, such as Great Britain, Canada, United States, Scandinavia, and some other European Nations.

In B.C., approximately 24 out of every 100,000 persons have chronic HBV infections. In 2014 there were 14 cases of acute Hepatitis B illness reported, an increase of three cases from 2013.

Hepatitis B Vaccine Hepatitis B is a vaccine-preventable disease. Safe and effective Hepatitis B vaccination is the best way to protect yourself from becoming infected. The vaccine is a series of three to four vaccinations over a period of six months. All babies, children, teenagers, and adults at risk should be vaccinated.

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References: Canadian Liver Foundation, liver.ca Health Canada, healthycanadians. gc.ca Search: Hepatitis B Fact Sheet Hepatitis B Foundation, hepb.org HealthLinkBC, healthlinkbc.ca Search: Hepatitis B ImmunizeBC, immunizebc.ca Search: Hepatitis B Public Health Agency of Canada, publichealth.gc.ca Search: Hepatitis B, Get the Facts and Hepatitis B Infection in Canada World Health Organization, who.int Search: Hepatitis B, Fact sheet N°204

IslandParent.ca

May 2016 39

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1 day camp $49, 3 day camp $99, full 5 day camp $139. For girls and boys aged 10–14.

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ne Saturday morning, I was cycling home with my eight-year-old daughter after her weekly soccer match. We pedaled down a quiet residential street and approached a two-way stop. I slowed, glanced left and right, and rolled through the empty intersection. She did the same.

“Hey, that’s a stop sign!” called an older man on the sidewalk. “What a nice thing to teach your daughter!”

I did a double take. Did he really say that?

I considered my options for a witty rebuttal.

“That was an Idaho Stop!” (True, but only a bike geek would understand.)

“We’re lowering our emissions, so why don’t you do the same?!” (Too cheeky.)

“Tell it to the judge!” (My favourite grade-school comeback.)

In the end, we glided home in silence.

My good humour had soured. Hours later, I still felt annoyed by the public shaming of my parenting. Why couldn’t I get over it?

My sidewalk commenter was right: it wasn’t a great lesson in road scholarship for my daughter. But I hadn’t put her in any danger. After years of biking together, she is a more confident cyclist than most adults.

What stuck in my craw was having my parental pride flipped on its big head. We had left the car in the driveway and biked to soccer. In our age of global warming, I should feel like Mr. Smugly Do-Right.

Instead, my delusions of eco-heroism were punctured by a righteous pedestrian who gave my fathering a bad Yelp review. Now I had to wonder: Was I really a one-star dad?

Judging other parents is a bad habit that’s hard to break. We do it all the time, even when we try not to. We eye-roll at the dad texting on his iPhone as his son or daughter pleads for attention. We second-guess the mom losing her cool as her kid throws a tantrum in the junk-food aisle at the grocery store. We overhear an F-bombing teenager on the street and think: Who raised you?

(Answer: not us.)

www.cathedralschool.ca

40

Island Parent Magazine

IslandParent.ca

Usually we don’t voice our thought bubbles of superiority. We know we will all have our own moments of neglect and regret, when our actions as parents don’t live up to our ideals. We will say things to our kids we immediately wish to unsay.

We will feel like bad dads, even without a thumbs-down from the peanut gallery.

(I also know that as far as public scrutiny goes, I get cut more slack than any mom.)

They say it takes a village to raise a child.

Dadspeak DAVID LEACH Some days that feels like a serious underestimate. We all need to watch out for each other, especially the kids who make up our wider community. However, in our Internet age of one-click ratings and instant outrage, how do we give fellow parents the benefit of the doubt? How do we acknowledge we are all struggling to get it right?

It’s tough. There’s no bigger a commitment than parenting. There’s no more complex and challenging and long-term “project” than raising a child. There’s no road test before we get our license to be a dad or parenting GPS when we feel we’ve gone astray.

The American author E.L. Doctorow once described writing a novel with a memorable metaphor: “It’s like driving a car at night: you never see further than your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.”

Being a parent can feel like that, too. It’s no wonder we roll through a few stop signs along the way.

A few days later, I shook off my bad mood and got on with my bumbling attempts at being a decent dad. I tweaked a few habits.

I’m more cautious at intersections when I bike with my kids. (I still do an Idaho Stop.)

But I also try to resist the instinct to pass judgment on fellow fathers. And I’m not going to wag my finger from the sidewalk any time soon. I think that’s a nice thing to teach our kids, too.

David Leach is the former City Life Editor of Monday Magazine, the Chair of the Writing Department at UVic, and the assistant coach of the Carnarvon Orange Crush.

IslandParent.ca

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ecently I’ve been seeing a lot of the hashtag #konmarimethod and photos of crisp, clean and clutter free living spaces. Marie Kondo is the Japanese author, decluttering guru and inspiration behind the KonMari way or method.

Marie Kondo has become quite famous.

Everyone is getting their Kondo on.

She is my hero. I can’t agree more with her methods and I’m slightly jealous of her celebrity cleaning status.

The KonMari way has been my way since I was a young gal allowed for the first time to decorate my own room. And her methods make so much sense especially now that I’m into motherhood.

There’s a huge difference between a morning with my kids getting ready for school when the house is in tip top shape and organized and a day when it looks like a bomb went off. It’s about a 10 minute difference actually. Ten minutes late, that is, on a super disorganized day.

There’s also something extremely exhilarating in having the strength to say, “I don’t use this, there’s a very good chance I won’t ever use it, so therefore maybe someone else can. I’m going to throw it into the donation pile.”

Kondo has published two books, the bestseller The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and an illustrated cleaning guide called Spark Joy. Her claim to fame is her advice to discard anything that doesn’t spark joy in your life.

Cleaning, decluttering and organizing has also recently been on my brain since my husband and I sold our house and are preparing to move. As daunting as it seems, I’m really digging all the purging happening in our household. We’re also into spring so a lot of people are currently Kondo’ing their homes.

When it comes to being a parent, a huge factor in the household purges includes toys. I often can’t get over how many toys my children have collected in the small time they’ve lived on this earth. They never play with all of them, usually only a select few, so it makes sense to donate or pass on toys they’ve outgrown or aren’t into anymore.

The more they have, the less interest they will have.

Also besides the clutter issue, the less toys a kid has the more creative they are, which is one of the most beneficial things for a child. And it certainly doesn’t spark joy when I step on a piece of Lego in the middle of the night.

Is There an App for This? asHleY deGraaF Teaching your children to be organized and clean and being a good example can also be beneficial. I was destined to be tidy.

And I’m pretty sure that’s a virtue, but not always. Both my mom and dad are very clean people and my grandfather, well he’s Grandfather Clean to Mr. Clean. He’s so meticulous I remember as kids not being allowed to play on certain areas of his grass in the yard so as not to wreck it. No joke.

Every weekend when I was a teen I rearranged furniture, tidied, organized and decluttered my small bedroom.

Putting aside the obsessive compulsively clean tendencies, what’s most important about living a minimalist lifestyle and being organized is simply appreciating what we have and how we are able to use it in our daily lives. For example, you have one super amazing jacket. Maybe it’s a leather jacket.

You can wear it casually and it can also be worn with a dress outfit to work. You don’t need all the other six jackets collecting dust so you sell/donate them. You will appreciate that one jacket so much more.

The same goes for the children’s items. I want my kids to appreciate their gifts from family and from us.

As Catholic Benedictine monk David Rast says, “It is not joy that makes us grateful. It is gratitude that makes us joyful.”

So go on and spark some joy in your and your children’s lives.

Purge.

Ashley Degraaf is a freelance writer based out of the Cowichan Valley. She enjoys channeling her inner momma while chronicling her daily adventures with her children.

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IslandParent.ca

Selling Holes

I

love board books. I love watching active kids, who can’t sit still for long, stack them up to use as a step to reach something, or fling them across the room just because, or make ramps with them to run trucks up. The board book endures. It’s still there, essentially uninjured, when the kid is exhausted—or between things—and means to lie on the floor, sweaty, admiring her vehicle ramp, but finds herself looking at a picture in the board book, decoding it—the first inklings of reading.

Lots of books have built-in interactivity that makes the book a toy as well as a delivery machine for art and story. The most common ones these days are flap books, where a page is folded in half, or a stiff paper door is glued to the page for the child to open and find underneath—well, anything. My kids had a terrific book about pirates that had shocking things under the flaps: dynamite and rats and bottles of whisky. Usually, though, you find things like lost ducklings. There are also popup books and mechanical books, in which, for example, a cardboard wheel is spun to change the picture. There are also the amazing “scanimation” books by Rufus Butler Seder— Gallop! and Waddle and Swing!—where, through animation pyrotechnics, the image moves with the fluidity of video.

Technology isn’t everything, though—it’s how you use it. Hervé Tullet is incredibly inventive with the simplest materials. He has a great time with geometric patterns in The Game of Lines, a board book where half-pages are turned, like a Dutch door, so that the top of one lines up with the bottom of another, making fascinating new designs. The images are simple, arching or crosshatched lines, but mixing them up becomes mesmerizing as horizontal lines merge with vertical, wavy lines with straight. Tullet’s other inventive books include The Big Book of Art, where kids mix and match works of art, The Game of Mirrors, in which kids can see themselves, and The Eye Game, where the pages double as masks.

Tullet’s Press Here is perhaps his best known book. Kids rub and breathe on various dots or shake the book, then when they turn the page, it appears they’ve affected how the dots now fall. The board captivated three teenagers in my living room for a full 15 minutes—they became children again. Indeed, Tullet’s colourful, wordless books have a wide audience, from babies up to six-year olds.

Tullet’s The Finger Circus Game fails, though. Kids are supposed to put their fin-

gers through holes and become circus seals and trapeze artists. But the holes are too big.

(And, aren’t circus animals supposed to be a thing of the past?)

Still, holes have made other books sing.

Forty-six years ago, holes created a classic for Eric Carle, author of The Very Hungry Caterpillar. “One day, with a hole punch, I playfully punched some holes into a stack of papers,” he recalled in an interview. “Looking at the holes I thought of a bookworm. Then I changed the bookworm into a green worm, then…”

In Carle’s famous book, a caterpillar emerges from a little egg on a leaf into “the light of the moon.” It then eats a hole through various fruits/pages, also through a piece of chocolate cake, an ice cream cone, and a pickle, and finally falls into—not a coma—a cocoon. The caterpillar emerges on the final page as a beautiful butterfly.

The marvellous The Hole, by Norwegian illustrator Oyvind Torester, has a hole punched right through it, front and back covers, too. In this smart, fun story, a hipster mouse moves into a new apartment, but discovers a hole in the wall. The magic is that, since the image changes on every page, the hole moves around, too. Here it is hiding as the window of the clothes dryer, here it is on the floor—where the mouse trips on it! Eventually, the mouse traps the hole in a box and takes it to scientists for examination.

It could be said that interactive books break the fourth wall. Other books break the fourth wall through self-consciousness. Canadian Caroline Merola’s The Story Starts Here, is a wonderful, layered story about a kid in a contrarian mood; to reflect his mood, the book is to be read from back to front. But, halfway in, we turn the book over, so finish it up turning the pages the familiar way. The book is ultimately about family helping each other get back on track.

Please Open This Book, by Adam Lehrhaupt, with pictures by Matthew Forsythe, is completely endearing. “We’re saved!” cries a monkey, standing in the dark, holding a lantern, when the child opens the book. “Do you know what happened?” the monkey asks the reader. “Someone closed this book.

They just slammed it shut. With us inside!”

Creatures have been injured—there’s a toucan with a broken bill—and bananas have been smushed. It’s a fun, compelling read that, despite not wanting to, you will find yourself closing. And then, of course, opening again.

IslandParent.ca

Back to holes. Some books have large ones cut through their pages that act as windows to the next page. Edward Gibbs’s I Spy books—I Spy With My Little Eye, I Spy On

Book Nook SARA CASSIDY the Farm—are colourful and charming for young children.

But the best window book is Peepo, by the infallible and prolific team of Janet and Allen Ahlberg. Set in the 1940s in England’s Black Country (where Allen Ahlberg grew up), the book features a baby (Allen says it was he) studying the life around him. “Here’s a little baby, 1-2-3. Stands in his cot, what does he see?

Peepo!” We see a little of what the baby sees, through a good-sized hole in the page. Then we turn the page and see the full scene. “He sees his mother pouring hot porridge in a bowl.

And his father in the doorway with a bucket full of coal.” When we look back through the hole, we see the baby, watching from his crib.

Janet Ahlberg’s illustrations are filled with all the bits and pieces—laundry, muddy boots, a bar of soap in a cup—of family life of the time, and capture the beautiful chaos of life with young children. I found the pictures very soothing, reassuring, when my children were young. As for the hole, Allen Ahlberg loved putting it on the market, as he explained in an interview.

“It did occur to me at the time I was making this book that there was something rather nice about selling holes, selling a book that had as it were less paper in it. I had a lot of jobs when I was a younger man. I was a postman and a school teacher and a soldier and a plumber’s mate, but also for a few years, I was a grave digger. And so you can imagine the idea of selling holes is something I was well familiar with.”

Google “Allen Ahlberg reads from Peepo” to hear the wonderful Allen Ahlberg read this brilliant book.

Sara Cassidy’s six books for children and teens have all been included in Canadian Children’s Book Centre’s “Best Books for Children and Teens.” Sara lives in Victoria with her three kids, and at saracassidywriter.com. Book Nook is written with the invaluable assistance of GVPL librarian Lonestar Stone.

IslandParent.ca

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380-2442 Or Register Online At www.victoriagymnastics.com May 2016 45

Family Services Directory This directory, sponsored by Thrifty Foods, features not for profit agencies and organizations serving children, youth and families.

1Up, Victoria Single Parent Resource Centre (www.1up.ca) provides support, education and resources for parents in the Greater Victoria area through free counselling, volunteer training for peer helper positions, a mentoring program for single moms and a support group for dads.

The Centre also offers a variety of integrated life skills and parenting courses which are open to the whole community (fees are on a sliding scale). The Centre provides free toys and books, a clothing room and bread pantry for single parents. Donations of gently-used clothing, small household items, books and toys are welcome. Hours are Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri: 9-4, Wed: 12-7. 602 Gorge Rd. East; call 250-385-1114 or info@1-up.ca Beacon Community Services is a community-based non-profit agency providing social, employment, and health services to Saanich Peninsula, Greater Victoria, and Southern Gulf Islands residents. Beacon offers: child, youth, and family services; a drop-in family resource centre; counselling; employment services for adults, youth, and people with disabilities; home support; volunteer services and opportunities; community events; affordable assisted living for seniors; referrals, information, and resources; thrift shops. For Home Support information call 250658-6407; for all other inquiries call 250-656-0134, or visit beaconcs.ca.

Beacon Community’s Employment Services. Beacon Community Services provides a full menu of employment services to the Saanich Peninsula, Southern Gulf Islands.

We have been helping people find work since 1982! Our programs build on a client’s strengths and resolve barriers to securing and maintaining employment. Furthermore, we work in tandem with our employer network to support those residents looking for work. If you need help finding a job or need employees please pay us a visit! It’s FREE. 9860 Third St, Sidney, 250-656-0134, beaconcs.ca.

Boys & Girls Club Services offer after-school and evening social, educational and recreational programming for children and youth at 5 locations (Colwood, Langford, VicWest, Central Saanich and Esquimalt) and summer camps both in Esquimalt and at our Outdoor Centre in

through separation and divorce. Counseling, mediation, legal information and a range of group programs are available for children, youth and adults on a sliding fee scale.

Call us at 250-386-4331 or visit fsgv.org. We can help.

TM

Metchosin. We also offer support to parents through our Parents Together program and parent workshops.

For more information on all programs and services visit bgcvic.org or call 250-384-9133.

Canucks Autism Network (CAN) provides high-quality, adapted sports, recreational and social programs for kids, teens and young adults living with autism on Vancouver Island. Shawnigan Lake: Multisport day camp, bike clinics and family camp. Victoria: Swim, soccer, skate and physical literacy. Nanaimo: Swim and physical literacy.

Family events take place throughout the year! Become a member for only $25/year at canucksautism.ca/join. Call 604-685-4049, email info@canucksautism.ca or visit canucksautism.ca/VancouverIsland for more information.

CHOICES Adoption & Counselling is a licensed, professional, non-profit agency that provides services to adoptive parents, birth-parents, and adoptees. CHOICES arranges adoptions domestically and internationally. We are committed to providing a comprehensive, clientcentered adoption service which best meets the needs of everyone in the adoption constellation. Please contact us at choices@choicesadoption.ca, or call 250-479-9811 for further information.

Community Living Victoria’s Autism Services offers dynamic community-based programs for children and youth (6 – 18 yrs) with Autism. We offer 1:1 Behaviour Intervention, Social Skills Groups and spring, summer and winter Day Camps. Our skilled and caring team draws from various behaviour support models to customize programming for each youth. Fun programming within safe, supportive environments motivate youth to expand their interests, gain confidence, strengthen social and communication skills, and build friendships. 250-4777231. communitylivingvictoria.ca Family Services of Greater Victoria (formerly BC Families in Transition) is a non profit agency that has been serving families since 1978. We provide a full range of services to the whole family in supporting their relationship and

HappyBaby Sleep Solutions helps families create healthy sleep habits in babies and children so everyone is well rested and happy. Sukkie Sandhu, M.Ed., has worked with hundreds of families locally in Victoria and worldwide. Sukkie is a Registered Clinical Counsellor so the cost of a sleep consultation may be covered under your extended medical plan. For more information visit www. happybabysleepsolutions.com or call 250-857-1408 for a FREE evaluation. Let’s get started!

HeadWay Victoria Epilepsy & Parkinson’s Centre supports families living with seizures by offering parent workshops three times a year, educational presentations in schools and community groups as well as providing tutoring sessions and one-to-one professional consultations to help your child live up to their highest potential.

Keep up to date with the latest research about treatments, lifestyle, and safety issues for your child. We can be reached at headwayvictoria.com, or you can reach the Epilepsy Program Coordinator directly at 250-475-6677.

Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria (ICA) is a service agency for immigrants and refugees. Programs offered include cross-cultural counseling, parenting programs (child care available), family violence programs, employment services, interpretation and translation, diversity workshops and training, ESL instruction, volunteering, youth programs and tutoring, as well as intercultural arts programming. 930 Balmoral Rd, 250-388-4728, info@ icavictoria.org, icavictoria.org.

Learning Disabilities Association of BC, SVI Chapter, educates, supports and advocates for children and youth with learning disabilities and related conditions.

Services include a public lending library, individual/ group support for parents and children, professional/ educational workshops for parents and professionals. Child and youth programs include: reading/ writing, academic skills, social/emotional skill development and Fast ForWord. 1562 Fort St, Victoria, BC V8S 5J2. Ph 250-370-9513. Fax. 250-370-9421. ldasvi.bc.ca. knowyourrights.ca.

Maxine Fisher M.Ed., RCC, MTA

Counselling for Children, Families & Adults Over 20 Years Experience (Music Therapy Also Available)

Stress & Trauma (Acting Out) • Parenting • Family Transitions Physical & Learning Disabilities • Relationships • Individuals Skype & Phone Sessions Available M.Ed. | Registered Clinical Counsellor | Accredited Music Therapist

Call Today for a Complimentary 10 minute phone consultation Call 250-686-7582 maxinefisher@shaw.ca victoriafamilycounselling.com 46 Island Parent Magazine

IslandParent.ca

Military Family Resource Centre (MFRC) provides programs and services to the military family community including: 24-Hour Information Line; Deployment Information and Workshops; Short Term Counselling, Crisis Support or Intervention; Welcome/Relocation Services; Childcare and Family Support Services; Assistance for Families with Special Needs and Responsibilities. Call the MFRC: 250-363-2640 (1-800-353-3329) for information or visit esquimaltmfrc.com.

Power To Be provides inclusive nature-based activity programs for youth and families living with a barrier or disability who need support to access recreation and their community. We create year-round programs to fit participant needs through activities such as kayaking, rock climbing, hiking, canoeing and more. Visit powertobe.ca or call 250-385-2363 to get involved.

Sooke Family Resource Society (SFRS) provides Family Resource Programs including: Prenatal Education and Outreach, Parent-Tot Drop-In Groups, Parent Discussion Groups, Family Support Groups and Outreach, a Toy and Book Lending Library, and Kingfisher Preschool. SookeWestshore Child Care Resource and Referral services, as well as all-ages counselling services are also provided

by SFRS. Services are provided from the Child, Youth and Family Centres in both Sooke and the Westshore.

Call 250-642-5152 for more information or visit our website at sfrs.ca.

SFRS’s Welcome Home Program is looking for homes that can support adults diagnosed with a disability looking to gain further independence. The livingsituations are varied and unique and can include living within a family home or a suite in the family home. The needs of the individuals are varied, dependent on the disability, but can include relationship building, life skills, meal prep, etc. For more information, please call 778-433-2023 or go tosfrs.ca.

Sooke-Westshore Early Years Centres provide information to families about children and family services, supports, child development and parenting. The Early Years Navigator will assist families with referral information for local early years programming, child care, public health, special needs intervention services, and social supports. The Sooke-Westshore Early Years Centres are hosted by Sooke Family Resource Society and located at the Child, Youth, and Family Centres in both Sooke and the Westshore and can be reached at 250-217-9243.

Additional information can be accessed at sfrs.ca/earlyyears-centre.

Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Centre Society (VIRCS) supports immigrants and refugees living in Greater Victoria. Services are free and include one-onone counselling, parent education workshops, youth life skills classes, a preschool program, art therapy, language classes and academic support, employment help, computer classes and fun community events like free yoga, tai chi, dance and cooking classes. Visit us online at vircs. bc.ca or phone 250-361-9433.

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May 2016 47

Welcoming Your Second Baby

P

reparing for a second child can be as rewarding and special as the first time.

Your first child may experience a range of emotions, from excitement to jealousy or even resentment. Younger toddlers are unable to verbalize their feelings, and their behaviors may regress after the new child is born. Older toddlers and kids might express their feelings by testing your patience, misbehaving, throwing tantrums, or refusing to eat. These problems are usually short-lived, and a little preparation can help an older child adjust to the idea of welcoming a new sibling. Being aware of the changes to come, and helping your firstborn understand what to expect is the best way to prepare for this joyous event.

Before baby’s arrival Once you are ready to share the news and your body starts to show the changes of pregnancy, tell your child about the coming baby. Take a trip to the library and pick out some books that will explain how to welcome a new baby. As the due date gets closer, talk to your child about what will happen when baby is born. If planning a hospital birth, explain who will be caring for them and that not only will they be able to talk to Mom on the phone but that they may be able to visit the new baby after the birth. In preparation for baby’s arrival practice caring for “baby” with a favourite stuffy or doll similar to the size of a newborn. Diapering, dressing and even buckling up a car seat are fun activities for your little one to do. Have fun talking about and planning for the baby.

Make sure to talk about what babies can

katerubintheatre.com

(sleep, eat, sleep) and cannot do (play like a toddler) to avoid disappointment. This is a great time to sit down with your child and go through her baby album. Tell her stories of the day she arrived and all the memories you have of taking care of her in those early weeks.

A couple of fun ideas to include your older child in the anticipation of the birth:

New Parent Pages diana HUrscHler, bscn • Involve your child by asking for help to plan a “birthday party” for the new baby.

Allow him to choose the cake and decorations and to plan special presents to and from the baby.

• As you decorate the baby’s sleeping area, you may want to consider renewing parts of your older child’s room- perhaps they could choose a new blanket or a fresh coat of paint.

If you are planning to have your child make major changes such as toilet training, weaning or moving out of their crib, make these changes well in advance or well after the baby’s arrival. The tendency to encourage independency at this time may make your child feel resentful and resist the changes.

After the birth

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Island Parent Magazine

If possible, have someone other than Mom holding baby at the first visit so that Mom can greet and hug the older child right away.

It is important to be prepared for any negative reactions from your child. Acknowledge your child’s feelings and provide her with appropriate ways to express them. To foster positive reactions toward the baby, provide your child with opportunities to care for the baby, such getting a diaper, choosing baby’s clothes, and helping to push the stroller.

Involving your child gives him a sense of your trust which will increase self-esteem, as well as foster feelings of acceptance and affection between your child and the baby.

It is important, however, to remember to follow your child’s lead about how much and how often they want to help out.

Keep a few small gifts in reserve for your young child when friends give gifts or lavish

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attention on the new baby. Stock up on little items like stickers, coloring books, crayons, and puzzles. Let her be the one to unwrap the baby gifts and test the rattles.

Spend quality time with your child. If needed, have someone look after the baby so that you and your child can have time together. Stress to your child that he is special and loved. Often a child will feel that there will not be enough parental love for him and baby. Spend time each day making your older child the most important person in the world. If you can’t get time alone with your older child, you can share the time you spend caring for the baby with your child. Wearing your baby gives you two free hands to play a game with your older child.

While feeding baby, read a book or just have cuddle time. As baby gets older, place him on a blanket on the floor to watch while you play with his big brother or sister. As baby gets more responsive, encourage your older child to interact with baby. Making faces and funny noises is something all three or four-year-olds enjoy doing and babies love.

Big brothers and sisters love getting those big, toothless grins!

785 W. Burnside Rd. 250 479 1237 Revive “special time,” especially with Dad or other close relatives: outings to the www.stjosephschool.ca park, the ice cream store, even to the store for bread and milk. Reserve these one-onSt. Joseph’s Early Learning Centre offers half-day and full day Preschool one outings just for the older child. in a Licensed Group Day Care for children three and four years old.

Expect some regressive behaviours from Our Preschool program strives to awaken the child’s spirit and your child, for example, separation anxiety, imagination and encourages the desire for independence and high toileting accidents, wanting to be diapered self-esteem through creative play. Applications are available on-line or breastfeed. Sometimes pointing out that or at the Early Learning Centre office. there are benefits to being big (like eating We are pleased to announce that our Early Learning Centre is now ice cream when all the baby gets is milk) Hours of operation are 7:30am–5:00pm. For additional seems open! to improveWe behaviour.

Offer lots offull time daycare for children who are 3 and 4 are offering information please contact Mrs. Maureen Hall at 250-479-1237. hugs and frequent words of praise when years of age. Applications are available on-line or from the Early your child is acting his age.

Priority number one is to makeoffice. sure your St. Josephʼs offers an excellent program in a Learning Centre child feels loved, included and needed.

Catholic Christian atmosphere.

Explain that as the family is growing, so is your heart and that why you have enough Hours ofisoperation are 7:30 AM - 5:00 PM. For additional information love for everyone. Adding a new member please contact Susan Clifford at 250-479-1237. to the family will affect your child in a big way, but ultimately a positive one. This is the beginning of most likely the longest relationship they will ever experience in their lives—and hopefully a close one!

St. Joseph’s Early Learning Centre

St. Josephʼs Early Learning Centre 785 W. Burnside Rd. 250-479-1237

www.stjosephschool.ca

Oak Bay Figure Skating Club

s p m a C ’ z t a R k ‘RiingnJuly 4 to Aug 12 runn

Diana Hurschler, RN BscN, childbirth educator, certified breastfeeding counselor, has been helping families in their childbearing years and beyond since 1998. Diana is the proud mama of four little ones. Email diana@hurschler.com.

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Learn and improve your skating skills! Age 4 to 10.

Half day camps, full day options.

For more information and registration forms visit www.oakbayfsc.ca or email jamiemcgrigor@gmail.com May 2016 49

Preschool & Child Care Directory CENTRAL SAANICH Chrysalis Child Care................................ 250-652-0815 A nurturing and stimulating environment for a small group of 21⁄2–5 year old children. Qualified ECE promotes learning through play. chrysalischildcare.ca.

Colwood/LANGFORD Goldstream Co-op Preschool................. 250-474-3011 Learning Through Play for 3 and 4yr olds! For registration information go to our website: goldstreampreschool.com.

Leap Forward Childcare......................... 250-818-9225 2758 Peatt RD. Licenced group childcare for children ages 6 months to 5 years old. Offering fulltime and part-time care. Open 6:30am-5:30pm. For more information please contact Amber: info@leap forwardlangford.com, leapforwardlangford.com.

Miles of Smiles Nature Junior Kindergarten.................... 778-265-4374 Come See Why Learning In Nature Rocks! Reggio Influenced Philosophy ages 3-5. Have Your Child Become a Nature Detective Today! Email mosnjk@hotmail.com.

RIA Early Learning Centre...................... 250-590-0781 Reggio Program—for Preschool aged children. A unique learning environment—encourages each child’s development. reggiopreschool.ca.

CORDOVA BAY Carrot Seed Preschool............................ 250-658-2331 Where children can discover, imagine, construct and learn through play. Wondrous natural playground. carrotseedpreschool.com.

Lakeview Christian Preschool/Daycare.. 250-658-5082 30 mths to Kindergarten entry. Small group. Experienced teacher. Full time and part time spaces. Mornings only or full day. Monthly DROP IN STORY HOUR. For information please e-mail lakeviewschol@shaw.ca.

ESQUIMALT Ciara Early Childhood Centre................. 250-386-7369 Education and Fun Hand in Hand! Exceptional care for ages 1-5yrs. Inclusive nature inspired kindergarten readiness program with Christian values. Facebook.com/ CiaraEarlyChildhoodCentre.

Island Kids Academy Esquimalt............. 250-381-2929 High quality child care (ages 1-5). Preschool curriculum offered within a warm, caring all-day program. Character development using the Virtues Project. Access to community programs including swimming, skating, Victoria Conservatory of Music. Part-time spaces available. islandkids.ca.

Child Care

Resource & Referral www.islandfamilyinfo.ca www.ccrr.bc.ca 50 Island Parent Magazine

La Pré-Maternelle Appletree Preschool.. 250-479-0292 A French Immersion Program. 30 months to school age.

Licensed Christian centre. prematernelleappletree.com.

Highlands

Recreation Oak Bay................................ 250-370-7200 Fully licensed, ECE Daycare, Preschool and Nature Preschool. Play based, child led learning. Afterschool care available.

SAANICH

Lexie’s Little Bears Child Care Inc......... 250-590-3603 Only seconds past Luxurious Bear Mountain our HIGHLY reputable Nature Program will not disappoint! Our NATURAL outdoor environment provides an experience like no other…in our own rainforest. Located on 2 acres of treed forest land, your child will learn and grow in NATURE! Our Brand NEW Infant/Toddler centre is tranquil and serene.

All the furniture, shelving and some toys have been hand crafted using the trees on our own property! Programs for 3 to 5’s and for Infant/Toddlers. Spaces avail. NOW! Visit our Facebook blog, and website at lexieslittlebears.com.

Call for more info. Cub House: 778-432-3600.

METCHOSIN Metchosin Co-op Preschool................... 250-478-9241 Est. 1960. Our school provides a beautiful natural play space and inclusive child led learning through play emergent curriculum. Two excellent ECEs per class provide loving and enriching family support. Half-day programs for 2.5-5 yrs. metchosinpreschool.com.

West-Mont Montessori School............... 250-474-2626 Preschool Montessori instruction in a beautiful natural environment in Metchosin. Ages 30 months and up. Providing a balanced approach to incorporating Nature, French, Music and Art into a complete educational program. Be a part of a community devoted to the development of the whole child. Open House: Thursdays 9-11 am. west-mont.ca.

North SAANICH In The Garden Childcare Centre............. 250-654-0306 A GREAT PLACE TO GROW. Offering preschool, full day care, before and after school care for children aged 2.5 to 12 years old. Open all year.

OAK BAY Emmanuel Preschool.............................. 250-598-0573 Children learn through play in our non-denominational Christian preschool near UVic. Bright attractive setting. emmanuelpreschool.ca.

Gonzales Co-op Preschool..................... 250-727-1003 Children explore their imaginations in our learning-throughplay environments and large natural playground. Our Reggio Emilia inspired program focuses on art, nature, music and friendship. Over 50 years serving Victoria’s families. Nuturing and highly qualified ECE and ECE Assistant. Parent participation level options available, nut-free and allergy-aware. Join us! gonzalescooppreschool.com.

Arbutus Grove Children’s Centre........... 250-477-3731 Formerly known as Goosey Gander Kindergarten. Half Day and Full Day Preschool Programs. Children’s learning is supported and nurtured through inquiry, exploration, play and creative expression. arbutusgrove.ca.

Camosun College Child Care Services......250-370-4880 Quality licensed facilities on both campuses providing children, newborn to 5 years, with rich early learning experiences in a learn through play environment. camosun.ca/childcare.

Carrot Seed Preschool............................ 250-658-2331 Where children can discover, imagine, construct and learn through play. Wondrous natural playground. Extended hours starting Sept. carrotseedpreschool.com.

Cloverdale Child Care.................................250-995-1766 Register now for preschool 4 year olds Mon/Wed/Fri 9:00–1:00 & 3 & 4 year olds Tue/Thur 9:00–1:00. Full time Early Learning Centre 7:00am – 6:00 pm 3–5 year olds.

Before and after school care. cloverdalechildcare@shawbiz. ca, cloverdalechildcare.com.

Full o’ Beans Preschool.............................. 250-360-1148 We offer ‘learn through play’ programming designed to foster your child’s natural curiosity and imagination. Flexible scheduling, 2.5 and 4 hour programs, qualified staff.

Registration is ongoing! saanichneighbourhoodplace.com.

Island Montessori House........................ 250-592-4411 Inclusive, integrated and nurturing Preschool and Kindergarten programs. Located in a lovely rural setting with a focus on nature and outdoor environmental activities such as gardening and composting. islandmontessori.com.

Lakehill Co-op Preschool....................... 250-477-4141 Where children’s development is nurtured through a child centered inclusive, play based program. Come visit our natural outdoor playground and meet our loving qualified ECE team. Multiple Levels of participation available, please enquire. lakehillpreschool.org.

Lambrick Park Preschool & Childcare.. 250-477-8131 Gordon Head’s only parent-participation preschool and childcare centre. Flexible options, play-based learning and outdoor play. Allergy friendly. Celebrating 40+ years. lambrickparkpreschool.ca.

Neighbourhood Junior Kindergarten..... 250-479-4410 Welcoming, culturally sensitive parent participation program in Lakehill School. Morning and afternoon.

For 3s and 4s. See website for details. neighbourhood juniorkindergarten.com

Looking for child care? Need help with subsidy forms?

Taking care of children? Need child care training?

Your community’s best source of child care information and resources.

Victoria & Gulf Islands: 250-382-7000 or 1-800-750-1868 Sooke: 250-642-5152 Westshore: 250-391-4324 Cowichan Valley: 250-746-4135 local 231 PacificCare (Ladysmith north): 250-756-2022 or 1-888-480-2273 Funded by the Province of BC

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Preschool & Child Care Directory Oakcrest Preschool................................. 250-472-0668 A welcoming, nurturing environment with a large, bright facility. Learn through play with 2 caring ECEs. oakcrestpreschool.org.

Castleview Child Care............................. 250-595-5355 Learning Through Play & Discovery. Licensed non-profit, qual. ECE staff. Since 1958. Preschool and full-time care. castleviewchildcarecentre.com.

View Royal Childcare.............................. 250-479-8067 Preschool structured, high quality childcare. Victoria Conservatory of Music classes. Part time spaces available.

2.5-5year olds. viewroyalpreschool@live.com.

Pacific Christian School – Pre-School... 250-479-4532 Your child will love the playful, safe environment and caring staff at PCS Pre-School. Come and explore Educational Excellence to the Glory of God. PacificChristian.ca

Centennial Day Care............................... 250-386-6832 Exceptional childcare and education 35+ years. Nature inspired, play based program. NEW central, “green” building. centennialdaycare.ca.

View Royal Preschool.............................. 250-479-8067 Exciting inclusive program in a safe and exceptional care environment. 3-5 year olds. Outside play and themes enrich this program. Full/part-time spaces available. viewroyalpreschool.com.

Rainbows & Dreams Preschool.............. 250-479-1966 Small classes for 3-5 yr olds in a safe nurturing environment. Children learn through play and fun–developing a sense of confidence, independence and creativity. Highly qualified ECE teacher.

Christ Church Cathedral Childcare and Junior Kindergarten......................... 250-383-5132 ECE and Specialist teachers provide an outstanding all-day, licensed program for 3–5 year olds. Spacious, renovated facility with a huge backyard in Fairfield. cathedralschool.ca.

Ready Set Grow Preschool..................... 250-472-1530 Inside Hillcrest Elm. in Gordon Head, we help children transition to Kindergarten. Licensed Preschool with highly qualified, warm ECE. heoscmanager@gmail.com.

Nightingale Preschool and 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.

Rogers Child Care Centre....................... 250-744-2343 Trusted High Quality Non Profit Care since 1991. Year Round Early Learning and Out of School Care. For more info go to rogerschildcare.com.

St. Joseph’s Catholic Preschool................250-479-1237 • A Christian child centre for 3–5 year olds.

• A warm nurturing and challenging program • Offered by St. Joseph’s Catholic School.

Wiseways Preschool & Daycare............. 250-477-1312 Quality, fully licensed, Christian preschool/daycare for 3–4 year olds. Experienced team of ECEs. Spacious facilities include large playground and indoor gym. Subsidized fees welcome. Call for a tour. wisewaysvictoria.com.

SIDNEY Acorntree Preschool............................... 250-686-1408 Balanced indoor/outdoor program, designed to stimulate natural curiosity and foster empathy and compassion towards others. We believe in the importance of both child and teacher directed activities. acorntreepreschool.ca.

Positive Path Early Learning.................. 250-655-7244 Located near the library and Sidney School, our program has earned a stellar reputation for quality child care and is growing as fast as the children we care for. Space is available for your child to embark on a journey of active exploration and discovery, enjoying a natural outdoor playground and an expansive indoor learning space. Experienced educators foster a lifelong quest for knowledge and guide children with Christian values and virtues. positivepath@shaw.ca.

Storyoga Preschool................................. 778-679-4004 Embracing and empowering children exactly as they are.

Storyoga Preschool is a nature and yoga based program located in Sidney, BC. storyoga.com.

VICTORIA ArtsCalibre Academy.............................. 250-382-3533 Comprehensive programs for Preschool through Grade 6, delivering academic excellence through music, dance, drama and visual arts. Outstanding educators, locations and facilities. ArtsCalibre.ca Babies to Big Kids Childcare......................250-590-2722 949 Fullerton Ave. Licenced group childcare for children ages 6 months to 11 years old. Offering full-time and part-time care. Open 6:30am-5:30pm. info@babies tobigkids.com, babiestobigkids.com.

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Parkdale Early Childhood Centre........... 250-382-0512 ECEs offer the highest quality care and positive learning experiences in our daycare and preschool. Full time or part time. Call for a tour or visit us at parkdalechildcare.ca.

Rainbow Express Daycare...................... 250-382-2314 A nurturing environment for children to learn through play and discovery in a natural setting. ECEs and specialist teachers. rainbowexpressdaycare.com. Close to city centre.

Ross Bay Preschool................................ 250-383-7445 Positive/supportive program motivating children to learn, discover and grow through play. Daily outdoor time, special guests and community events! rossbaypreschool @shaw.ca.

The Sir James Douglas Playschool....... 250-389-0500 Fun, creative and educational ECE program for 3-5 year olds to grow and develop life long skills. Come play and learn in our bright and modern centre in Fairfield.

Mill Bay / Cobble Hill Cedar Montessori..................................... 250-710-9007 A beautiful rural setting where children are lovingly supported to learn at their own pace within a stimulating Montessori environment.

DUNCAN Parkside Academy.................................... 250-746-1711 Providing high quality early learning and care from infancy to 12 years of age, in a stimulating, respectful, nurturing, nature based environment with fully educated and passionate early childhood educators. Visit parksideacademy. ca or find us on Facebook.

Queen Margaret’s School......................... 250-746-4185 Early Childhood Education Program. Co-ed nurturing curriculum to develop the whole child. Healthy snacks and lunch provided. qms.bc.ca.

Queen of Angels Early Learning Centre... 250-701-0433 We believe that the development of the whole child (physically, socially, emotionally, cognitively, and spiritually) encourages each individual to develop to their full potential. We offer an enriched full day program for 3–5 year olds based on Kindergarten readiness.

Sunrise Waldorf School Preschool........... 250-743-7253 A warm, nature-based Waldorf rhythm where wonder is nurtured. Led by Waldorf trained ECE teachers. sunrisewaldorfschool.org.

Chemainus

Victoria Montessori................................. 250-380-0534 Unique, innovative learning environment combining the best of Montessori and Learning Through Play. Open yr. round. 30mths–K. victoriamontessori.com.

St. Joseph’s Preschool........................... 250-246-3191 An enriching preschool program allowing children to grow as individuals in a safe and nurturing Christian environment.

YMCA-YWCA Child Care Centres.......... 250-386-7511 Enriched programs for children 10 months – 5 years. Our programs support healthy child development and future school success. victoriay.com.

Qualicum Beach

VIEW ROYAL Island Kids Academy View Royal........... 250-727-2929 High quality child care (ages 1-5). Preschool curriculum offered within a warm, caring child care environment.

Character development using the Virtues Project. Access to community programs including swimming, skating, Victoria Conservatory of Music. Part-time spaces available. islandkids.ca.

Little Wonders Preschool (View Royal OSC)..................................... 250-744-2718 A creative and supportive program that will prepare your child for a lifetime of learning! Out of School Care is also available for school aged children. viewroyalosc.com.

Children’s Discovery Centre................... 250-752-4343 Our program recognizes the uniqueness of each child and provides a nurturing, safe and creative learning environment. Licensed preschool, group care and out of school care. Early Childhood Educators. childrensdiscovery centre.ca. childrensdiscoverycentre@hotmail.com.

Little Star Children’s Centre................... 250-752-4554 Mother, Daughter owned and operated. Earth friendly preschool education inspired by nature. Infused with fun and creative daily yoga practices! Licensed group care.

Enthusiastic ECE instructors. littlestardaycare.ca

Port Alberni John Paul II Catholic School.................. 250-723-0637 “Where children grow and learn through play.” We provide a program that will inspire development physically, socially, emotionally, cognitively, creatively and spiritually.

A Secret Garden Preschool.................... 250-380-8293 Program built on Christian values. Monthly themes, weekly topics and daily activities. asecretgardenpreschool@ shaw.ca.

May 2016 51

Community Board Making our Community a Better Place to Live

1Up Victoria Single Parent Resource Centre 1-up.ca Art Gallery of Greater Victoria aggv.ca Camp Pringle CampPringle.com Child Care Resource & Referral childcarevictoria.ca Kaleidoscope Theatre kaleidoscope.bc.ca Royal BC Museum royalbcmuseum.bc.ca Silver Threads Service silverthreads.ca TC10K tc10k.ca Tri for MS Triathlon TriStarsTraining.com/ Beginner-Tri-for-MS Victoria Children’s Choir victoriachildrenschoir.ca Victoria Conservatory of Music vcm.bc.ca Enquire about non-profit brochure or magazine distribution in Greater Victoria:

publisher@islandparent.ca 52 Island Parent Magazine

Fussy Foodie

W

hen Angus started eating solids, he did a pretty great job of it. Of course he did, we did everything “right.”

A new food introduced every three days, in recommended order, lovingly steamed and puréed. Angus didn’t eat everything I made him, but he ate most things. The only real issue was yams—the issue being Angus’s love for them and my willingness to accommodate, resulting in his skin taking on a distinct orange tint. But otherwise, there were no problems. I was proud of myself.

Parenting was difficult, but I had at least mastered one component.

I thought of the parents I knew who cut off crusts, peeled fruit, agonised about vegetable intake while serving separate beige meals for their children. Too bad they hadn’t had the common sense to introduce variety early on.

Angus was not a picky eater. He was a great eater! Until he wasn’t…

The older Angus got the less variety he accepted. Now, at four and a half he has all but phased himself out of vegetables.

He will eat peas—a lot of peas—whole bowls of peas devoured. He will eat carrots, only raw, and in very thin sticks. He’ll eat roasted yams so long as they are cut in the form of fries and accompanied by ketchup.

Everything else he turns his nose up at—even the flavourless potato, the mild-mannered cucumber. I often put despised vegetables on his plate at dinner, hoping that with enough reintroductions Angus will start accepting them. Occasionally they are ignored, but more often they’re plucked off and deposited on my plate or the floor. Either that or I am forced to endure a meltdown about how Angus can’t possibly eat when there is something as offensive as lettuce touching his edible food.

Lots of kids don’t like vegetables, so I wasn’t too worried initially. Angus ate so much fruit I assumed he was at least getting most of his required vitamins and minerals that way.

And then Angus stopped drinking his morning smoothies. If encouraged to take a sip he would scrunch up his face and suck on the straw until the liquid travelled almost to his mouth, but never quite inside. He stopped eating bananas, which previously he could have lived on. Christmas oranges became yucky. We are now down to the berry family, and thin slices of peeled apple.

It’s not just fruits and vegetables anymore.

Chunky peanut butter is inedible. Egg yolks must neither be too runny, nor completely solid. Bread crust is disgusting. Juice is only for when you’re sick.

Maternity & Beyond Laura TRUNKEY I’ve tried everything. When Angus has friends over, I feed them: grapes, segments of oranges, muffins. His “favourite friend” is always a willing eater, and I draw Angus’s attention to this fact. It has proved ineffective. In fact, it has backfired. The one time I served raisins, which Angus loved, she declared she did not like them, and now surprise, surprise, my son doesn’t either.

Not even when reintroduced in the vehicle of oatmeal cookies.

And yet in some ways, Angus seems like an adventurous eater. He would be quite happy eating nigiri for every meal, and if there is unattended ginger on your plate, he will steal and devour it. He will eat a quesadilla made with spicy pulled beef. He likes smoked cheese. But really he would prefer a piece of salmon, a bowl of peas, and brown rice. An acceptable meal for sure, but not exactly an every day sort of thing.

Yes, I admit it, I cater to the kid. There are nights when I make two different meals.

His meal is usually pretty beige. This is obviously payback for my earlier smugness.

I know, because I have had friends with toddlers tell me, pityingly, that their kids eat everything, that the trick is that they introduced variety early on. I just smile, and add a scoop of Greens powder to my kefir and fruit smoothie, fill up the popsicle moulds, and offer my unsuspecting child another serving of dessert.

Laura Trunkey is mother to the amazing Angus and the author of a forthcoming short fiction collection from House of Anansi. Email laurajtrunkey@gmail.com.

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Abra-Kid-Abra............ 16 Park Sands................. 45

Art Classes

Andrea’s Sew Easy...... 35 PR Photo Creations..... 21 Arbutus Grove............ IFC Recreation Oak Bay..... 36 Babies to Big Kids....... 39 Robert Bateman Ballet Victoria............. IFC

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Victoria Children’s Choir........................ 4

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For more information contact 250-360-1148 ext 101 Corinne@snplace.org

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• Day and Evening Classes • One or Two hour sessions • Technique Oriented • Ages 5 and Up

Register Now for Ongoing Programs

Artistic Statement Gallery & School of Fine Art Call Joan at 250-383-0566

www.artisticstatementgalleryandschool.com

Does your child have difficulty reading?

• can’t read words just read earlier • letter reversal • symptoms of dyslexia • “sounds out” words but can not blend them correctly • confuses similar sounding words • avoids reading/poor speller I offer an effective program that works!

Call for more information or to arrange your individualized one-on-one tutoring solution.

Brenda Osadchy 778-440-0997

totallearningservices2014@gmail.com

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Welcome Wagon......... 22

Skating................... 49 West-Mont................. 19 Oyaco........................ 17

• Licensed programs for 3 and 4 year olds • Part – time, flexible scheduling • 2.5 & 4 hour programs • Outdoor program options • Competitive rates, subsidy available • Qualified Early Childhood Educators Located at Saanich Neighbourhood Place, in Pearkes Recreation Centre

Drawing • Painting Sculpture • Cartooning Portfolio Preparation

University............... IBC

Theatre................... 35 Victoria Academy Kate Rubin.................. 48

Registering Now for r Septembe

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CRD........................... 15 St. Joseph’s................ 49 CTots........................... 3

Early Care and Learning Programs for Preschoolers

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Contact us today at 250-388-6905 or sales@islandparent.ca May 2016 53

Explore Where the the Wild Within!

Wildflowers Are

• 1 hr. Main Cave Experience • 3 hr. Wet & Wild Spelunking • Ride the new Cave Slide • Cave Theatre & Fossil Trail Ranked #1 on TripAdvisor

Tours leave daily – reserve ahead

250-248-7829 HORNELAKE.COM Come visit us in the heart of Cobble Hill!

T

ake time this spring to stop and smell the flowers. They are sure to bring a smile.

Our southern Vancouver Island spring wildflower bloom is well underway, but there is still time to get out with your family and experience this colour sensation. From a quick outing to a longer adventure, our Regional Parks are the perfect destination as they showcase wildflowers in profusion at this time of year.

Now accepting applications for Junior Kindergarten in September 2016

Photo: Gordon Tolman

Also accepting applications for the Evergreen Explorers program for three-year-old children and Junior K.

Sunny hilltop parks are by far the best places to see spring wildflowers. A family hike to the summit of Mill Hill, Lone Tree Hill, Mount Wells, Bear Hill, Horth Hill or Mount Parke on Mayne Island will surely impress. A magnificent display of wildflowers and gorgeous views await.

Sunny slopes are carpeted with hues of blues, pinks and yellows. Look for the pale to deep blue common camas blooms 54

Island Parent Magazine

IslandParent.ca

resembling blue water from a distance as imagined by some early explorers. Spectacular! Splashes of yellow colour in early spring could be Spring Gold. Swaths of pink growing on grassy bluffs are sea blush, named after the soft pink glow of sunset on the ocean.

On your hilltop walk, look for bright pink and sweet smelling shooting stars. They look cosmic, with turned back petals streaming behind like the tail of a shooting star. One

Nature Notes kaTie TUrner of the coolest yet commonly overlooked wildflowers in our region is the chocolate lily. They are not as showy as camas or shooting stars. But they have a gorgeous bell shape and subtle brownish shading. Sadly, they do not smell like chocolate, but in fact have a rather unpleasant odour (think more skunk cabbage, not roses).

Enjoy the incredible beauty of our Victoria wildflowers with your family while they last.

Remember to tread softly; what looks like grasses might be the leaves of flowers that have yet to bloom. Even if wildflowers are not visible, walking off trails can damage bulbs that lie dormant under thin soils.

You can also help protect wildflowers by taking this opportunity to teach children the importance of not picking them. Instead, closely observe flower parts, count their petals, and watch for pollinators. Plants need flowers to reproduce, while insects like butterflies and bees depend on their nectar for food. If the temptation to pick cannot be quelled, quickly find a dandelion or daisy patch. Explain that these flowers are fast growing and plentiful and won’t harm things if picked.

So grab some sturdy shoes, snacks and water. Your family will love the challenge of a climb to a sunny hilltop park where the wildflowers are. You can also join one of CRD’s free guided nature programs to learn more about flowers, birds, intertidal life and so much more. To download maps of our Regional Parks and the Nature Outings & Events brochure please visit crd.bc.ca/parks.

Katie Turner is a Regional Parks Interpreter for the Capital Regional District.

IslandParent.ca

Kool Toys & Teaching Tools

Gardening Time!

Toys, games and puzzles for all ages #102 – 2517 Bowen Road Nanaimo 250.585.1778

koolandchild.com

St. Joseph’s ST. JOSEPH’S E

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Elementary SchoolLEMENTARY - CHEMAINUS CHOOL

TRADITIONAL VALUES AFFORDABLE

250-246-3191

www.stjosephselem.ca May 2016

55

Cut It Out!

Tips from Parent Educator Allison Rees of LIFE Seminars

Healthy Guilt

T

o develop higher levels of moral development we need to feel healthy guilt.

Healthy guilt isn’t shame. Shame says, “I’m no good.” Healthy guilt says, “What I did wasn’t good.” If we rely on punishment to teach a child it might do the opposite. A punishment can clear the ledger of “wrong doing.” “I’ve been punished so now we are even.” The child just focuses on the punishment rather than what he actually did and the effect it may have had on others.

If you are relying on punishment to teach a child, Cut it Out! If we only believe something is wrong if we get punished for it, our conscience will trouble us only when we are caught doing something that some authority thinks is wrong. If our moral values are based on following rules and laws, our conscience will trouble us when we break a rule set down by some authority. If our moral values are based on the higher moral principle of the Golden Rule, our conscience will trouble us when we harm another person or ourselves.

In order to care for and understand others we must first care for and understand ourselves.

If the Golden Rule means treat others the way you want to be treated, it won’t mean much if you don’t like yourself.

To nurture your child’s sense of self: • Accept your child’s feelings and articulate them by using reflective listening. This tells the child that it is okay to feel negative emotions.

If he thinks it is wrong to do so, he will feel shame for having them.

• Be specific about behaviour that isn’t okay and help your child get her needs met without hurting others.

• The most basic statement of the Golden

Rule is “Your freedom to swing your arm ends where my nose begins.” For a child too young to understand others’ needs and feelings, this limit teaches the beginning of the equality of human beings.

• If a consequence must be used as a follow through, your tone can be supportive and the action can be reasonable. This is different than angry punishments where negative emotions prevent learning.

You may wonder if you are on track with your parenting at times when your child appears thoughtless or mean. It takes most of childhood and then some to reach a point where we realize that other people have feelings just like we do.

LIFE Seminars has two books available, Sidestepping the Power Struggle and The Parent Child Connection. See lifeseminars.com.

10 th annual

Celebrating the growing family september 24 & 25, 2016 pearkes rec centre - 3100 Tillicum rd PR Photo Creations

victoria PROUDLY SPONSORED BY

exhibitor registration on now! for info visit VancouverIslandBabyFair.com 56 Island Parent Magazine

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Start your journey here Come do high school at university!

The High School at VIU is Nanaimo’s best kept secret!

A BC certified independent high school uniquely situated on a university campus.

The High School at VIU provides an opportunity to do your high school studies in a university setting and have access to all university resources and amenities. Experience small class sizes, individual attention, and opportunities for intercultural understanding.

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