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SiblingS
without rivalry by Helen Peterson
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top fighting!” “Do I have to separate you two?” One more peep and you’re both going to your rooms!” Parents have a lot to deal with when raising children, and the interaction between siblings can cause a great deal of stress and frayed nerves, not to mention worry for their safety, if things get out of hand. With a new school year upon us, brothers and/or sisters egging each other on or “borrowing” things without asking or getting downright physical means chores and homework that need to be done can start to slip by the wayside. So how do you get your children to behave (and buckle down for the school year) like little angels? Short answer: You don’t. “Fighting, bickering and the general push-andpull behavior of siblings is a very natural part of growing up,” according to Chasidy Karpiuk, an experienced local educator and counsellor who specializes in family dynamics, among other areas of practice. “Parents can act as mediators when their children are fighting or play-fighting, but in the end, children need to explore the boundaries of arguing and debating and claiming their place in the family,” says Karpiuk. “It’s through this manner that children learn conflict resolution. They’ll take away these skills to use in adulthood.” Karpiuk realizes that parents have concern about one child or the other getting hurt, or lingering hard feelings between sibs, but if the parents set parameters ahead, things usually resolve themselves within the family unit. “An example of the perfect storm is when you have two boys with four years or fewer between their ages,” she says. “Both are competing for a parent’s attention, and tempers can really flare.“ So, how do parents cope with the adversity?
“I always say there are three main methods for dealing with sibling disputes,” Karpiuk states. “The first is to ignore the situation; second option is to simply leave the room; and the third is to tell them to leave the room. “While it sounds like you aren’t ‘challenging’ the kids, these methods are meant to help you cope, and when they realize their behaviour is not grabbing all your attention, they’ll often get bored and stop doing it!”
Brothers & Sisters – Unite! Karpiuk knows there are no perfect parents out there, and it’s a constant learning process. One area of concern when there’s fighting is - are they doing their homework? She suggests finding a “homework zone” in the house that separates each sibling, and after the work is done they can reconvene to watch TV or have dinner. The bottom line, says Karpiuk, is that anger, shouting, disagreements and even nasty name-calling, are all part of the dynamic of siblings finding their place in the family unit. And by disciplining based on each child’s maturity level, and establishing common ground through negotiation, the school year can get started with a fresh outlook. Chasidy Karpiuk is hosting a seminar series in the Lower Mainland entitled Building Strong and Healthy Children. On Sept. 30 the topic is Stay Calm: “Help my children are at it again!” Go to her website www.chasidykarpiuk.com for registration details.
Sionnaine Irish Dance Academy
Michelle Bond TCRG Instructor/Director OFFERING CLASSES TO CHILDREN & ADULTS (Wednesdays)
• Beginner to Advanced • Recreational & Competitive
Contact Michelle at 604-836-8201 or irishdancing@shaw.ca
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Va n c o uve r Co u r i e r friday, september 3, 2010
Kidz beat Sweet Siblings
ABC’s and 123’s: Creating A Head Start
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Super-sibs! Jamie, 11, and brother Cameron, 13, have their moments! In the typical opposite gender situation, it’s needling and poking fun that drives the relationship. But these local siblings like doing sports together: kicking the soccer ball around and even playing road hockey… as well as skiing together and playing wii. Jamie is going into grade six. She’s looking forward to seeing all her friends again and finding out who’ll be her teacher. She likes Phys-Ed, drama and math. She is looking forward to trying out for the girls’ basketball team, too. Cam is going into grade eight (and a new school), so he is bit nervous. But he is looking forward to buying lunches from the cafeteria when he can. He’s looking forward to shop classes (making things) and gym. He really wants to try out for the school soccer team.
he Vancouver Public Library Foundation supports three key programs for pre-school children: Mother Goose, Man in the Moon and the Storybus. These extremely popular, and fun, programs provide critical early childhood literacy support to children whose parents may themselves have low literacy skills. Mother Goose and Man in the Moon are offered at East Vancouver community centres and libraries while the Storybus visits daycares and playschools around the city. Research shows that more than 40 per cent of Canadian adults have difficulty reading, writing and using numbers. Parents with low literacy skills may not be able to provide the crucial support required for preparing kids to read during the first few critical years of their lives. The Vancouver Public Library Foundation is proud to support these programs that help children and families develop a love of reading. VPL hopes to develop and deliver an exciting pilot project, Alligator Pie, that would focus on delivering literacy based, professionally developed, and needs-
appropriate library story-times to the many children in Vancouver who are in childcare programs. A special emphasis would be put on reaching Vancouver’s most vulnerable children in the most at risk neighbourhoods. The Parent-Child Mother Goose program is a unique early literacy outreach initiative to target at-risk parents, specifically those in the Vancouver east side. Significant research in early childhood development shows that children across the socio-economic spectrum benefit from early intervention. The Man in the Moon Program was developed in response to a growing body of research pointing to the importance of father (or father figure) involvement in the lives of young children, especially during the developmental stages of language and literacy. VPL would also like to develop 50 Storyboxes to be circulated throughout Vancouver as literacy resource tools. Parents interested in donating to the Vancouver Public Library Foundation can call 604-3314094; website: www.vplfoundation.ca.
So kids can play afterschool games on the court, not online.
YMCA Action Kids
Kids need 90 minutes of physical activity a day! – Sports instruction and Nutrition activities daily – Drop off or walking school bus from Jamieson, Sexsmith, and Van Horne Elementary Schools – $7.50/day for members $9.00/day for non-members
YMCA Action Kids is a new recreational program for kids 5-12 years old running Monday to Friday 3:00pm-5:30pm, at the Langara Family YMCA!
YMCAActionkids vanymca.org 604-324-9622
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taeb zdiK SOCIAL STUDIES
Committed to....... · Building relationships with families · Promoting good oral health and well being · Providing quality preventative and restorative services · Creating a caring environment and a positive experience
Dr. Anita Gartner Certified Specialist in Pediatric Dentistry
219 – 179 Davie Street, Vancouver • 604-569-3669 www.tot2teendental.com • info@tot2teendental.com
Using, not Abusing, Social Media Tools
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he sound of “dialing up” to the Internet is something I use to demonstrate to adults how different the world is for young people today. Most youth have never heard that annoying sound because they started using the Internet after it became always on and high-speed! In high schools today, bullying isn’t only happening in the school yard. It’s happening outside of schools - through text messages or applications like Facebook. Another one is Nexopia - a social network for youth. This has created challenges for school administrators who say that this occurs outside of their area of control, the school. There are many ways to protect young people from these kinds of things. The easiest way is to attempt to restrict all access to the online world, but this tactic rarely works. Youth can access the web through an iPod touch, school computers, library computers or a friend’s cell phone. And restricting something often makes it more appealing to youth. It’s most important to work to keep lines of communication open between youth and their parents and teachers. Young people can become addicted to games and social technologies. Creating incentives around other kinds of activity is the best method for dealing with this brave new world kids find themselves in. Today’s youth often know more about Internet technologies than their parents or teachers. What does all this mean for parents of youth today? It means that responsible digital citizenship is something that we have to teach children about. There are so many opportunities for learning, growing and creating online. These opportunities shouldn’t be blocked
due to fear of the online world’s darker side. This is made easier for parents by the fact that old rules still apply: treat others the way you’d like to be treated, ignore people who are negative, be true to yourself and respect others. Two rules of thumb that work for adults and youth is to never post or say anything you wouldn’t want your mother to read and posting negative things won’t help me while posting positive things won’t hurt me. As in life, the Internet contains some shady characters and although they are a very small group, it’s best to avoid them. Here are some simple ways for young people to protect themselves when online: • Don’t connect with strangers online or meet offline; • Watch what you say, post or do online as it can be there forever; • Have an adult help with privacy settings on social networks; • Don’t publish your legal name, birth date, phone number or address online. Finally, while the urge to text the day away, send photos of one another back and forth, play I-Pod and MP3 video games, and surf the ‘net constantly to stay in the loop may seem appealing to today’s youth, the bottom line is if their studies suffer from lack of attention, their chances of a successful outcome in school, and in a future career, diminish. Just like kids in the 80s got hooked on Pac-Man and Mario Bros. at the expense of studying, the wired world can “eat up” a lot of valuable time. Teach children of all ages that, like the tempting bag of Halloween candy, having a little bit each day is fine, and then no more. Good luck!
Photo by Pablo Su
by Kemp Edmonds contributing writer
Kemp Edmonds is a social media educator at BCIT - School of Business. He can be reached via email at: kempedmonds@gmail.com or on twitter @kempedmonds.
Do Your Children Love to Sing? Do You Love to Sing?
All are Welcome!
Please come celebrate the Joy of Music with Us! Dunbar Heights United Church Music Program, under the direction of Dr. Greg Caisley, Music Director and Colleen Cotton, Children and Youth Choir Leader, invites you to come and sing with us!
WHEN Children & Youth Choir 9:15am every Sunday morning, starting Sept 12th Adult Choir 7:00pm every Thursday night, starting Sept 9th WHERE Dunbar Heights United Church 3525 West 24th Avenue, 2nd floor Performances throughout the year.
For more information email info@dunbarheightsuc.ca or visit our website at www. dunbarheightsuc.ca
Register for Fall! Visual, digital and performing arts classes available for children and youth ages 5-19. Fall, Winter and Spring sessions available.
www.artsumbrella.com Program Sponsors:
103.5 QM/FM, The Beedie Group, Bunt & Associates Engineering Ltd., Cirque du Soleil, CKNW Orphan’s Fund, Dr.Jean Carruthers Cosmetic Surgery Inc., Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipelines, The Keg Spirit Foundation, The Koerner Foundation, Pitblado Foundation, The Please Mum Foundation Fund of Tides Canada Foundation, RBC Foundation
Print sponsor:
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Va n c o uve r Co u r i e r friday, september 3, 2010
Inverglen Scottish Dancers Classes offered in Kerrisdale & Kitsilano • HIGHLAND • SCOTTISH COUNTRY • STEP Non-Competitive Ages 3 year & up Concerts, Workshops & Travel Abroad
Sandra Crosby, SDTA, RSCDS, SDC, TAC
www.inverglenscottishdancers.com
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Kidz beat fall ACTIVITY ROUND-UP compiled by Helen Peterson
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tudents of all ages are heading back to school in a few days, and it’s an exciting time for them. As well, many kindergarteners are going to be attending for a full school year instead of the half-year that has been the tradition. This will be very helpful for parents, meaning they won’t be under the gun to arrange as much daycare support. Whether your children attend public school, regular private school or specialized centres like Montessori, the activities provided may not suit your family’s busy schedule. And the programs are quite general, like sports, band class, etc. Think outside the schoolyard this season, by enrolling your child in one or more of the exciting activities as outlined in this section. And clip out the handy website guide on page 28 for one-stop web shopping. Don’t delay in signing up – these fun classes and activities are going to fill up fast! Here’s a sampling of what’s on this fall around Vancouver:
For Sporty Sorts For those children interested giving the speedy sport of ringette a try, but are not sure if they want to commit for an entire season, there are a number of “Come Try Ringette” sessions that are offered by most associations at little or no cost. The Vancouver Ringette Association is inviting girls and boys (ages 5 to 12) to come and try this exciting winter sport on Friday, Sept. 10 from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm at the new Trout Lake Arena, 3350 Victoria Drive. Skates, helmets and an hour of fun on-ice activities led by Community Sports Initiative-trained coaches and helper/players will all be provided at no charge. To register for this event, go on-line to www.cometryringette.com or visit www.vancouverringette.com.
Free Skating and Ringette hosted by the Vancouver Ringette Association (children ages 5-12 years, helmets/skates/sticks provided)
Friday, September 10th, 2010 5:30-6:30 pm New Trout Lake Arena, 3350 Victoria Drive
Register online at: ComeTryRingette.com
Dance Fever
Dancing is a great way to stay in shape, increase coordination, have fun, meet new people, be creative and wear gorgeous costumes – what could be better? The Sionnaine (pronounced Shannon) Irish Dance Academy is an Irish dance school that offers classes for all ages and abilities. Classes are after school and along with Irish dance lessons and classes, students perform in shows, events and parades, and can enter local, national and international competitions. Lessons take place at the Cambrian Welsh Hall. Go to www.sionnaine-academy.com to find out all the “steps” required! Scottish dancing is another popular activity for kids. Highland, Scottish Country and Step are offered by the Inverglen Scottish Dancers. It’s non-competitive for ages three and up. Find out more at 604-850-1605.
For Art’s Sake
Art-Full Sundays at Arts Umbrella on Granville Island aren’t just for kids. This fall, the centre for arts education for young people opens its doors for Art-Full Sunday drop-in classes, encouraging the whole family to share in the joy of creating visual art. If you haven’t been to Arts Umbrella, never has there been a better chance to check it out. For parents or siblings of different ages who have always wanted to join in, this is a chance to make art together. All ages and abilities are welcome, Sundays, 1 pm to 3 pm, $12 per participant. Please note: all children participating in Art-Full Sundays must be accompanied by a participating parent/guardian. For groups, there must be one adult for every two children. Go to the website for full details: www.artsumbrella.com.
SING! DANCE! ACT! Learn from Broadway & Local Professionals.
We bring Broadway to you. Little Women: The Musical
Sept. 3-5 • Free Tryout Class Sept 11
Revue Stage, Granville Island www.VancouverTix.com
• Youth Company Audtions
808 East 5th Avenue, 604.327.9313
www.academyofinternationaldancearts.com
www.vancourier.com
Adult Classes!
NEW this fall: GLEE! classes
CLASSE S BEGI N SEPTEMBER 13 Musical Theatre Acting Improv Glee! Voice Lessons/Singing Yoga Dance (Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Combos, Stretch)
www.broadwayedgestudio.com 119 W. Broadway
604.961.3161
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Arciago Austin rns 12 on tu r 12th! Septembe
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to all these
SCHOOL
HOUSE
SEPTEMBER Kids!
maze
September 2 Ylinh Lee .................... 7 Tyhree Nguyen-Serrano 11 Eion Smith ................. 6 September 4 Simone McCallum ..... 6 September 5 Therese Margaret Robles 1 September 7 Amanda Mah ............. 7 Sean McNeil ............ 10 September 8 Manikant Rai ............ 12 September 11 Chelsea Jang ............. 9 Jana Sutharshanan .... 7 September 12 Matthew Eang ........... 8 Austin Arciago ........ 12 September 19 Solana Yuen .............. 7 September 21 Abigail Houghton ....... 8 September 23 Francis Angelo Tabag 8 Kristie Lau ................ 10 Nicholas Tsang ........ 10
find your way through the maze and back to school!
September 24 Sean Wyatt Thomas .. 2 Dylan Nagalingam ..... 9 Abhimen Suthakaran . 9 September 26 Tyler Eng .................... 6 Jordan Lopez Plechaty 4 Keonna Grace Tan ..... 7 September 27 Liam Jed Arizola ........ 2 September 28 Raquelle Ruiz ............. 2
Birthday Club Entry Form Name: ______________________________ Phone # _____________________________ Turning _______on: ____________________
Send to: The Birthday Club, 1574 West 6th Ave., Vancouver BC V6J 1R2. pt 26 April 24 – Se
t is perfec d n la y la P ays! d h t ir b g in t a for celebr s, Birthday ly PlayPasses on
$27.95 per child (plus
tax)
ude PlayPasse Packages incl , basketball rock climbing ot Triple O’s and a White Sp meal for or Pizza Pizza . one low price
Deadline for entries for the upcoming month is Sept.24th, 2010.
NEXT BIRTHDAY CLUB WILL PUBLISH OCTOBER 8TH, 2010
Hey Kids... Simply send us your name & birthdate and we will publish it the month of your birthday on our special Birthday Page. You will also be automatically entered to WIN a birthday prize from H.R. MACMILLAN SPACE CENTRE & DAIRY QUEEN. Winners will be contacted by phone in addition to an announcement in the paper.
Make a
Birthday wish come true
Bring this ad to either listed DQ and receive $5.00 off
a DQ cake! expires 12/31/10
Book your Birthday Party now 604-252-3663 | www.pne.ca
Commercial Drive DQ/OJ 1629 Commercial Drive 604-568-4542 Kitsilano DQ 2601 West Broadway 604-732-3704
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Va n c o uve r Co u r i e r friday, september 3, 2010
Kidz beat online directory Register for classes now! Go to www.:
academyofinternationaldancearts.com artsumbrella.com bc-girlguides.org broadwayedgestudio.com dunbarheightsuc.ca icschoolvancouver.com inverglenscottishdancers.com kidsmarket.ca musqueamgolf.com oconnoririshdance.com phoenixgymnastics.com prussinmusic.com sionnaine-academy.com sirotasalchymy.com stagecraft.ca tomleemusic.com tutor.bc.ca vancouverringette.com vanymca.org vbcc-vbyc.ca
Back to School
Kidz Beat
Heather Chapel Preschool
Be a part of this special Back To School Section Call Kaelan at 604-998-1204
– Est. 1976 –
SEPTEMBER REGISTRATION - Phonics Program 2, 3 & 5 Day • a.m. & p.m. classes
777 W. 68th Ave. 604-321-7446 or 604-466-9271
VOCAL LESSONS
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Experienced Professional Instruction M.Mus., NATS, BCRMTA, CAEA Professional singer/actress. Private Sessions. Preparation for Auditions and Exams.
Classes for Children, Youth & Special Needs Starting at Age 4 Respect for Others Focus & Concentration Self-Discipline Self Defense Skills Physical Fitness Inner Strength to handle Bullies & Peer Pressure Self-Esteem Self Confidence
604-264-4649
REPAIRS | SALES | LESSONS | ACCESSORIES
TEACHERS’ TUTORING SERVICE Serving families since 1985 3607 West Broadway, Vancouver
604.736.3036
www.prussinmusic.com
Qualified Teachers All Subjects • All Grades Professional one-to-one In-home Tutoring Competitive Rates
604-730-3410
teacher@tutor.bc.ca www.tutor.bc.ca
Now in Vancouver
Open House Celebration
Sunday, Sept 5th 11am - 3pm
Everyone Welcome!
Sirota’s Sirota’s Alchymy - Alchymy Martial Arts Centre 160 - 5640Arts Hollybrdige Way, Richmond Martial & Lifeskills Centre Fitness Worldthat Gilbert) 6647(Behind Victoria Dr. (at 50 ), Vancouver
604-244-8842
604-569-3395
www.sirotasalchymy.com
www.sirotasalchymy.com
ool Special
Back to Sch
Back to School Special m
m r ited ti One Month Unlimited Unifo Classes n! lim o i t Free only a & Uniform $99 r ist
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Reg
Expires September 30, 2010
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Back to School
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SCOUTING
13 Ryerson Group
150th St. Stephens Group
th
2195 West 45th Ave.
7025 Granville St.
604-351-3659
604-266-9020
O’CONNOR • O’BRIEN
irish dancers
OPEN HOUSE
ENTER TO WIN 4 TICKETS to
Come see/try a lesson or two the first two weeks of September. Now taking new dancers for Sept. & Oct. start dates. Ask about our New West Side Location & 6 week introduction. TCRG
• 604-506-2589
Vancouver | North Vancouver | West Vancouver | Ladner
EMAIL name & phone# to: contest@vancourier.com Subject: TICKETS TO SPACE CENTRE Deadline: September 15, 2010
Get Great Exercise - Make New Friends - Have Fun!
Terri Heckmann,
Kidz Beat
HR MacMillan Space Centre
Experience the thrill of exploration and the joy of movement at
Vancouver Phoenix Gymnastics
www.phoenixgymnastics.com 604.737.7693
info@phoenixgymnastics.com
Auditions for boys and girls Call immediately
A warm & loving environment with an enriched stimulating program. Qualified E.C.E. teachers For children 3 - 5 years old
No experience necessary
604-876-9722
Grades 5-8 only (All other Choirs full)
AFTERSCHOOL AND WEEKEND GOLF PROGRAMS FOR AGES 4-17! Contact Info:
604-266-2334
www.musqueamgolf.com
“To train and prepare children for their future roles in life, whatever those may be.”
Now Enrolling for Fall Semester CELEBRATING 10 YEARS! info@stagecraft.ca 604.267.SCTS • 604.762.2491 www.stagecraft.ca VANCOUVER & NORTH SHORE
SUNSHINE CORNER DAYCARE
604-738-8593
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