May 2018 Island Parent

Island Parent Celebrating

30 Years

The Resource Publication for Vancouver Island Parents

May 2018

Yo! Mama

Tips, Advice & Ramblings

Books for the Maternally inclined

New & Expectant Parents

Products  & Services

St. Joseph’s elementary School

SHOES • STROLLERS • CAR SEATS • FURNITURE NATURAL SKIN & SUN CARE • CLOTHING • TOYS • BOOKS HIGH CHAIRS • SLEEP AIDS • DIAPER BAGS • CARRIERS

St. Joseph’s Elementary School has limited space in all grades (K–7), as well as space in our licensed Group Day Care and Preschool Program.

Applications are available on-line or from the school office. St. Joseph’s offers a rigorous academic program in a Catholic Christian atmosphere.

1581 Hillside Ave, Victoria

778•265•5651

Across the street from Hillside Centre SHOP ONLINE AT MOMEASE.CA!

757 West Burnside Road 250 479 1232 www.stjosephschool.ca

Come Grow With Us!

Now Registering for Summer Swim Camps

Curiosity • Diversity Exploration • Nature Play-Oriented Learning

Summer Program

Limited Spaces Available for 4 & 5 Year Olds

3905 Haro Road, Victoria BC

250-477-3731 arbutusgrove.ca

*Full & Half day Camps *Improve your swim skills *Increase your fitness *Meet new friends *Have FUN doing it!

Monday to Friday @ Commonwealth Place July 9th-13th July 16th-20th July 23rd-27th July 30th-Aug. 3rd For more information: Web: www.islandswimming.com Email: info@islandswimming.com Phone: (250) 744 5536

WHY KIDS

(AND THEIR PARENTS!)

LOVE SAANICH SUMMERS A

LONG WITH BEING TONS OF FUN…

At Saanich Parks and Recreation, it’s the people—the staff, the participants, and the community—who make every program and camp an experience to remember. Not only is the Saanich Summer Team dedicated and passionate about the programs they provide, but they are also specially trained in first aid and safety, child protection, the importance of play, inclusion, and how to best support kids with behavioural challenges.

Many of our staff have come through Saanich Parks and Recreation’s multi-tiered youth-leadership process—a lot of them are former Saanich camp participants themselves!

They know what makes for a successful summer camp and that’s what they provide: fun, care, love, and safety.

It’s no secret why our programs fill up quickly. And it’s no wonder past-participants keep coming back for more. Now in our 71st year of operating summer camps in the Greater Victoria region, Saanich offers a wide variety of program options: from specialized engineering and science-based camps to those that explore nature, urban wilderness, adventure, and beyond… no matter what your child’s interests, we have a camp for you.

With over 500 camps, 4 recreation centres, an 18-hole golf course and 170 parks to choose from, you’ll find your own reasons to savour summer at Saanich Parks and Recreation—and all at a cost you can afford. Financial assistance options are also available to ensure that programs are accessible for all income levels.

Come see what summer is all about in Saanich!

Find your favourite this summer Saanich Parks and Recreation have been listening to our families for over 70 years.

We are proud to deliver a wide variety of quality summer camps year after year.

saanich.ca/recreation IslandParent.ca

May 2018 3

20 Products & Services for New Parents

SING WITH US IN 2018-19!

Features

Columns

14 Kelly Cleeve:

Let’s Think About Thinking

16 Julia Mais:

Morning Sickness

17 Yo! Mama

18 Shannon K. Auringer:

A Lesson in Choices

20 Products & Services

for New Parents

26 Books for the Maternally Inclined !

NEW

R ME M U P S AM C

In Every Issue Island Parent Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Party Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Family Calendar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Family Services Directory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46, 47 Preschool & Child Care Directory . . . . . . . . . . . 48, 49 Business & Professional Directory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Sue Fast

Editor editor@islandparent.ca

Island Parent Magazine 830–A Pembroke Street Victoria, BC V8T 1H9 250-388-6905 islandparent.ca

Linda Frear

5 Sue Fast: Editor’s Note 12 Erin Skillen:

Post-Married Mommy 22 Greg Pratt: Dadspeak 36 Emillie Parrish: Cooking With Kids 38 Ashley Degraaf: Is There an App for This?

40 Janelle Hatch: Healthy Families, Happy Families 44 Christina Van Starkenburg:

Book Nook 50 Laura Trunkey:

Maternity & Beyond 52 Rachel Tancock: Nature Notes 54 Allison Rees: Cut It Out!

RaeLeigh Buchanan

Mark Warner

Office Manager & Sales sales@islandparent.ca

Advertising Consultant raeleigh@islandparent.ca

Publisher/Owner publisher@islandparent.ca

Design & Layout Eacrett Graphic Design

Printed by Black Press

ISSN 0838-5505

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Island Parent Magazine, published by Island Parent Group Enterprises Ltd., is a monthly publication that honours and supports parents by providing information on resources and businesses for Vancouver Island families. Views expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher. No material herein may be reproduced without the permission of the publisher. Annual mail subscriptions (12 issues) are available for $35 (GST included). Canadian Publication Mail Product Sales Agreement 40051398.

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4 Island Parent Magazine

On the Cover

Jalen, 11 months. Photo by PR Photo Creations, prphotocreations.com

IslandParent.ca

Shooting Star

I

t’s the first blue-sky morning after a blur of rainy days as the vendors at the Saturday Salt Spring market set up their tents, carefully negotiating the wind that is gusting up off the ocean.

“Enter at your own risk!” warns one vendor as I duck past his stall and into the flow of people streaming through the market. Already one seller’s bottles of spices have blown off her table, a few of them smashing on the ground below, releasing wafts of cumin and coriander into the wind.

But no matter. The air is also filled with the promise that often accompanies the earlymorning start of a weekend market. At 8:30 a.m. it’s already crowded, but when the next ferry arrives at Fulford Harbour, a twisty 30-minute drive away, it will unload a fresh crop of shoppers and we’ll all be shoulder to shoulder.

Tables covered with handmade pottery, pastries and preserves, fresh-picked vegetables and fruits, homemade breads, natural soaps and lotions, jewelry, and silk scarves line the aisle. Children selling their origami creations, sourdough bagels and painted rocks dot the

As I am leaving the market, a woman stops me and comments on the shooting star.

“How beautiful,” she says.

I tell her how the flower makes me think of

walkway. They eye each passerby as if willing a possible sale. But something else catches my eye.

Tucked between two stalls, almost unnoticeable, is a table scattered with potted plants, each one containing the same type of purple flower. I recognize it right away: the shooting star, one of my mom’s favourites when she was still alive and one we searched for—against my protests and complaints—every time she visited Victoria in the spring. The tiny blossom opens so wide it is almost inside out, with its deep purple centre pointing towards the ground like a star shooting towards earth.

“How easy are these to grow?” I lift one of the pots and watch the clusters of flowers quiver on their stems.

“Dodecatheon?” The vendor shrugs.

She rattles off a list of instructions and then, perhaps sensing my confusion, hands me a printed information sheet. I take it and give her $5 for the plant.

Dodecatheons should be treated the same as spring flowering bulbs. They need moisture in the winter and spring, then in summer they die down completely and must be left dry.

Sue Fast Editor’s Note my mom, how I will plant it in her memory. I catch myself, suddenly emotional, and take a breath to stop from getting teary.

She reaches out and touches my arm. “You should go and see the sprinkling of shooting stars up on Channel Ridge.”

If my mom were standing here with me now, she would insist I drive her there—before heading home. Before the flowers are gone.

But she is not here and yet, just like the shooting star in the winter when the plant is dormant until the fall rains, she is. She is in an occasional expression I see on one of my kids’ faces, she is in an afternoon spent picking blackberries for pie, she is in a bike ride at sunset, and she is in the blossom of these shooting stars.

Happy Mother’s Day.

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May 2018 5

Island Parent Notes Climate Action To-Go

The Capital Regional District (CRD) has launched a new set of climate action activity kits in partnership with the Greater Victoria Public Library.

Available to borrow from libraries across the region, these take-home kits contain a range of practical tools and activities that will help residents learn about and take action on climate change in their everyday lives.

The kits provide an interactive way for residents to better understand how their household can reduce energy use and prepare for the realities of climate change in the future.

Each updated Climate Action To-Go Kit gives residents the opportunity to: • Measure their home’s optimal lighting using a digital illuminance light meter • Measure their household’s appliance electricity use with a Kill-A-Watt meter • Discover air leaks in walls and around windows using a thermal leak detector • Tune up a bike or track steps while learning about local active transportation routes • Test showerhead water efficiency • Learn about expected climate changes while preparing for both adaptation and emergencies Climate Action To-Go Kits are available in all 12 branches of the Greater Victoria Public Library as well as the Sooke, Sidney/ North Saanich and Port Renfrew branches of the Vancouver Island Regional Library, the Salt Spring Island Public Library and the Camosun College Library.

For more information on this program, please visit crd.bc.ca/actionkits.

Hike for Hospice 2018

Mark your calendar and start fundraising with your family, friends, or group for the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Hike for Hospice on Sunday, May 7. 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 7th 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.

6 Island Parent Magazine

Check-in and entertainment starts at 9am and the hike 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 Westwood Lake Park for Hiking for Hospice on June 10. 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.

36th Annual Mother’s Day Musical Garden Tour

Strolling through beautiful gardens, carried along by wonderful music—is there a better way to spend the day with a woman you love? This Mother’s Day weekend, May 12 and 13, you’re invited to visit gorgeous gardens and enjoy spring with the Victoria Conservatory of Music (VCM) at the 36th Annual Mother’s Day Garden Tour from 10am-4pm. Your two-day pass grants exclusive access to 10 hand-picked, enchanting oases to revel in the inspiration and joy of gardening while enjoying music from VCM students, faculty and guest musicians. And don’t miss the plant sale!

The gardens range from exotic to native, established and new, country acreage to city spaces. Many visitors come armed with cameras to take away ideas for their own gardens, and all come to enjoy the beauty and get lost in the exquisite music presented

by VCM students and faculty.

The Mother’s Day Musical Garden Tour has been an important fundraising event for the VCM since 1982. Participants are invited to have their gardening questions answered by on-site Master Gardeners, and purchase their plants for the season at the ever-popular plant sale. Guests can take home even more beautiful additions for their own patios and gardens at the Outstanding Planter Contest and silent auction. Tickets may be purchased online at vcm.bc.ca/ events or in person at the VCM front desk, 900 Johnson Street in Victoria. All proceeds support the Victoria Conservatory of Music.

IslandParent.ca

Mother’s Day Paint-In & Craft Fair at Royal Roads

Celebrate Mother’s Day at the 23rd annual Mother’s Day Paint-In and Craft Fair on Sunday May 13 from 11am-4pm 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 among the spring blossoms of Hatley Park’s gardens and visit the plenair painters located in the Italian and Croquet gardens, 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.

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 and parking are free. For more information, visit hatleypark.ca/visit-us/ royal-roads-university-23rd-mothersday-paint-and-craft-fair.

Egypt: The Time of the Pharoahs at Royal BC Museum

From May 18-December 31, you can experience a time when civilization grew along the Nile, pyramids dotted the skyline and people believed gods walked among us.

With more than 300 original artifacts, some an astounding 4,500 years old, this Royal BC Museum exhibition covers all aspects of ancient Egyptian life, from the emergence of ancient Egyptian civilization along the Nile to the Ptolemaic and Roman eras.

Be among the first in North America to see this staggering exhibition’s priceless ancient artifacts, such as the coffin of Nakht, an exceptional bust of Hatshepsut and an ornate gold and garnet necklace from the Ptolemaic period.

Also opening on May 18 at IMAX Victoria is Mysteries of Egypt. Travel to a distant time and place where the Nile River Valley cuts an emerald swath through the desert sands. In the flood-fed richness of this land rose an ancient kingdom whose culture has strongly influenced the western world. Its massive architecture and the intrigue of such personages as Nefertiti and Tutankhamen capture the imagination.

MotherFest An Afternoon of Pampering for New and Pregnant Moms massage reflexology acupuncture mini-manicures mini-photo sessions each mini-session only $5 doulas to hold babies live music snacks prizes 975 Fort Street,Victoria BC 250-595-4905 - motheringtouch.ca

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Around the old capital of Memphis, near modern Giza, rulers such as Ramses II built massive funerary pyramids to house them in their afterlife and farther up the river, temples were built to the pharaohs and their gods at Luxor and Karnak.

Explore these magnificent edifices and the civilization that built them, bringing their wonder to life. For more information and a full calendar of exhibition-related special events, including summer kids camps, visit royalbcmuseum.bc.ca.

Talk Spots

Parents may be aware of the risks associated with excessive screen time for kids, yet 85 per cent of Canadian children under 5 spend more time on devices than suggested guidelines. For young children, excessive interactions with phones or tablets is linked to significant language delays and even lifelong learning difficulties. This May, Speech and Hearing BC launches Talk Spot, a province-wide advocacy campaign encouraging face-to-face interaction amongs parents and children.

A Talk Spot is anywhere people can communicate face-to-face with someone they love. This could be in the car, at the

Friday May 11, 2018 2-7pm

and our Mothers’ Day 20% OFF SALE! May 2018 7

dinner table, in the community centre, at the mall, in the park—anywhere that facilitates discussion unhindered by the distraction of a screen. Parents, caregivers and communities are encouraged to create their own Talk Spots throughout the month and beyond.

Communities across the province are embracing Talk Spot. Resources—including informational brochures, conversation starters and supporting materials—will be available in more than 70 libraries, dozens of community centres and shopping malls, and select schools. Talk Spot will run throughout May, with Monday, May 21 designated as the inaugural Talk Spot Day. Members of Speech and Hearing BC will be available at pop-up booths in community centres and malls across the province to offer support to parents who wish to help their children with language learning. In Vancouver, Victoria, Richmond and Kamloops, these learning resources staffed by licensed health professionals will provide parents and caregivers the opportunity to learn more about how to positively influence their child’s cognitive development.

Victoria Children’s Choir Auditions

Preschool Spaces Available

• before and after

Open House

• small class sizes

Sat, May 12 from 10am–1pm

school care

• supportive and

caring staff

• excellent academic

foundation

• Kodaly music

A local non-profit for all children (Since 1973) 5575 West Saanich Rd info@islandmontessori.com 250 592 4411 www.islandmontessori.com

8 Island Parent Magazine

program

• lovely rural location

connecting children to nature

The Victoria Children’s Choir (VCC) invites kids aged 10-18 to audition for the 2018-2019 season on Saturday, May 26.

Children ages 7-9 are invited to register for the Prelude Choir, a non-auditioned ensemble that introduces choral music in a fun and interactive setting.

VCC’s programs offer: • opportunities to perform in exclusive events and concerts, and with respected artists • a new singing challenge, and the training to conquer that challenge • a way to develop natural talents • greater self-confidence • social experiences that teach teamwork, respect and motivation.

The Concert Choir and Recital Choir will learn a variety of masterpieces and modern arrangements that teach vocal technique at an international-performance level. As the choristers’ abilities grow, so will their knowledge and affection for all music—an appreciation easily shared among families as a whole.

Kids and teens who audition should be keen to contribute to the choir, have a good musical ear, pleasant voice in terms of resonance and breath support, and an ability to read language. With numerous rehearsals, performances, camps, and tours, choristers IslandParent.ca

Touch a Truck

Victoria’s Team 4 Hope and the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation’s Family Fun Day are holding the 7th annual Touch a Truck for Pediatric Cancer Research on May 27 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 6 years, Team 4 Hope’s Touch a Truck has raised over $63,000 for critical neuroblastoma research.

Team 4 Hope is a local running and 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 2018, there were 11 children in the Victoria area who had been affected

by Neuroblastoma. Six of these children are currently in remission and five have passed away. We lost two of our local children to Neuroblastoma in 2015 alone.

Since its founding seven years ago, Team 4 Hope has raised over $400,000 for Neuroblastoma research, with an average of over 83 per cent of funds going directly to support new projects at research facilities in British Columbia, including the BC Cancer Agency and the Child and Family Research Institute at the world-renowned BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver.

Join the Team 4 Hope at Touch a Truck 2018 for Pediatric Cancer Research to help give hope to children battling Neuroblastoma. Tickets: $15/family in advance, $20/family at the door or $10 for individual tickets (at the door). For tickets, visit team4hope.com or visit Kidding Around Children’s Store located at #3a-9769 5th Street in Sidney (cash only at this location).

IslandParent.ca

Bleiddyn del Villar Bellis Artistic Director Fellow & Examiner CSC-CICB Enrico Cecchetti Final Diploma

World Partnership Walk

Celebrate the 34th annual World Partnership Walk on Sunday, May 27 at the University of Victoria (UVic).

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. Every dollar raised helps bring hope to people and communities who need it the most. Donations made to the World Partnership Walk support Aga Khan Foundation Canada’s programs in Africa and Asia—initiatives that enable women and men to lift themselves and their children out of poverty, creating strong, vibrant communities able to lead their own development.

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 9:30am or register online at worldpartnershipwalk.com. Opening ceremonies start at 10:30am; Asian Heritage Celebrations at noon.

Supporting One-Parent Families

1Up Single Parent Resource Centre will offer Lighthouse Parent on Thursday mornings from 9:30-11:30am. Lighthouse Parent is a parenting program to help parents understand how to hold and be the light for their family. Whether we realize it or not, we have learned how to parent from our parents and grand parents or extended family. And since the techniques of yesterday are not necessarily the most enlightened for today’s child, you can find yourself dealing with unanticipated and unnecessary conflict with your children.

Building Healthy Relationships invites participants to spend a few hours learning to identify the healthy and unhealthy relationships in your life. Look at ways to identify both and some skills to nurture the healthy relationships and begin to move away from the less healthy ones. Wednesdays from 10am-noon.

Dads With Dads runs Wednesday evenings from 6:30-8:30pm. This weekly program is designed to offer support and community to men in the process of

Kinder Camps Ages 4-6 July 3-6, 9-12pm July 9-13, 9-12pm BOYS CAN DANCE Ages 7-11 - FREE for boys new to VAB! July 9-13, 1-2:30pm

Photo credit: David Cooper

need to be in good physical health to fully participate in choir activities.

To reserve an audition on May 26, visit victoriachildrenschoir.ca/get-involved/ singwithvictoriachildrenschoir-auditions or email vcc@victoriachildrenschoir.ca. Find out more about the audition process and the VCC programs at victoriachildrenschoir.ca.

2018 Children’s Summer Ballet Camps 250-590-6752 admin@victoriaacademyofballet.ca victoriaacademyofballet.ca

Come Sail with us!

Discounts for CAF, DND, Families and Early Bird (until June 1st) Open to Everyone...

Any Level, All Ages!

Racing, Cruising, and Family Programs!

Canadian Forces Sailing Association 1001 Maple Bank Rd., Victoria BC, V9A 4M2 WEB: www.cfsaesq.ca EMAIL: sailinginstructor@cfsaesq.ca Facebook.com/esquimaltsailing

May 2018 9

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Paula Wensley

Office: 250-388-5882 Cell: 778-678-7387 Pwensley@macrealty.com Paulawensley.com

exploring father-related concerns such as: parenting skills, strategies for coping with separation from children, grief and loss, co-parenting, self discovery, balance with social life, work and family, information on resources and advocacy.

Understanding Anger and Stress invites participants to explore anger and stress and how they affect our bodies and relationships. Learn new skills to manage both and make positive shifts in your life. In this course you will explore effective communication, identifying your triggers, identifying the things you can affect and the ones you cannot and what to do about both. For a full list of workshops and their descriptions, visit 1-up.ca. For more information, phone 250-385-1114.

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, May 28–June 3.

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, which has grown from 50 teams and 500 participants in 1997 to over 600 teams and 6,500 participants in 2017. 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.

Protecting Habitat for Future Generations

What if you could play an important role in protecting natural areas for our native wildlife? Well, it is possible. Habitat Acquisition Trust (HAT) is seeking to rally support from community members to raise $10,000 for its local Land Protection Program by July 31. This year’s Habitat Guardian Campaign will ensure the permanent protection of ecologically significant lands adjacent to the Gowlland Tod and Goldstream Provincial Parks, and support the ongoing stewardship of protected lands on south Vancouver Island.

The property in need of protecting is an impressive 98 acres of second-growth 10 Island Parent Magazine

Douglas-fir forest, inundated by rocky outcrops—suitable habitat for both the endangered Western Screech-Owl and Sharp-tailed snake. Protecting this property with a conservation covenant would also mean forging a permanent corridor for wildlife travelling between Gowlland Tod and Thetis Lake Parks.

Protecting habitat for future generations is important in this rapidly developing landscape, and it requires a community of passionate Habitat Guardians to protect it. Heed the call of the wild and keep these special places alive with nature forever by starting a conversation about land protection, and being a guardian for wildlife habitat with a donation to HAT. Without the funds for legal protection and stewardship, these sensitive lands may end up clear-cut, subdivided, or paved-over and lost.

You can reach HAT to make a donation by phone 250-995-2428, email hatmail@ hat.bc.ca, or snail mail: PO Box 8552, Victoria, BC, V8W 3S2. Donate directly to become a Habitat Guardian online at hat. bc.ca/habitatguardians.

Magic Wand for Grad Wear

Magic Wand for grads will make dreams come true by allowing students to borrow (for a minimal fee) rather than buy a dress or tux—including all accessories. No student should miss their grad when there is the Magic Wand! All outfits are current styles and new or like-new. Complete outfits include: new or like-new dresses, suits, tuxedos, shoes, and accessories. If you’ve already graduated, recycle your outfit by donating it. Magic Wand’s wish list includes: Possible space (a room to house dresses and tuxes) New make-up samples Hairdressing gift certificates for grads New tuxedo shirts Dry cleaning services $10 gift certificates to accessory stores (e.g. Claire’s) Financial contributions Colour photocopy provision/ graphics reproduction Some personal skills you might contribute: Marketing and donation assistance Alterations services To help grads feel “like their wish has come true,” volunteers take great care in ensuring the donated accessories are appropriate to this year’s tastes. Accessories on the wish list include:

IslandParent.ca

chair—you’re not going anywhere. Anyone with a Vancouver Island Regional Library (VIRL) card can stream thousands of hours of acclaimed TV, from Britain and beyond, free with their library card.

VIRL’s newest digital resource, Acorn TV, offers world-class mysteries, dramas, comedies, and documentaries, including classic series like Poldark, Murdoch Mysteries, Foyle’s War, Midsomer Murders, and Vancouver Island Regional Agatha Christie’s Poirot, and 80 exciting Library’s New TV Streaming exclusive programs, such as A Place to Service Binge-watchers, get your library card, Call Home, Blandings, The Brokenwood grab a snack, and find a comfortable Mysteries, and Jack Irish.

Classic black dress shoes and belts Modern jewelry (sparkly earrings, necklaces and hair accessories).

Unused make up Smaller sized tuxedos To find out more, visit themagicwandproject.ca and email esurerus@telus for an appointment.

New shows are added weekly and include the latest seasons of series. With the streaming service, VIRL customers are in exclusive company—this is the first library system in Canada to offer Acorn TV. To stream Acorn TV, VIRL library cardholders can download the RB Digital app onto their mobile device from the Google or Apple Store, or access the service from the VIRL website at virl.bc.ca/digital-filmsmusic-video-games. Then find an interesting title, sit back, and enjoy the show.

Family Literacy Canada

ABC Life Literacy Canada (ABC) launched the new and improved HSBC Family Literacy First website—familyliteracyfirst. ca—now with access to over 50 downloadable family learning activities.

Designed by ABC with support from long-time charitable partner HSBC Bank Canada (HSBC), HSBC Family Literacy First is a free program that brings parents and children together to practice family literacy in many first languages. Workbooks, individual activity sheets and stories are now available to download in five languages—English, French, Simplified Chinese, Tagalog and Arabic.

HSBC Family Literacy First was launched in 2015, and 10 learning modules were created in multiple languages. This year, ABC developed five new activities in all five of the program languages and released six newly translated learning modules in Simplified Chinese. Community workshops will also take place across the country with HSBC volunteers facilitating the program.

More than 270 HSBC employees have volunteered at HSBC Family Literacy First workshops across the country since 2015.

Every HSBC Family Literacy First learning module includes an original story and supporting activities that engage the entire family and reinforce literacy skills. The entire program is available online at FamilyLiteracyFirst.ca, and is supported by an easyto-use Facilitator Guide for parents, teachers, and learning centre facilitators. For more information, visit familyliteracyfirst.ca•

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May 2018 11

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the end & the Beginning

W

riting this monthly column since February 2017 has been a surprisingly cathartic process.

By ripping myself open and displaying my metaphorical guts in an open forum, I discovered the power of vulnerability to change your life for the better. I met people in the thick of it like me, those who had survived their divorce (or divorces), and those who

life in writing, and connecting with others through that process, meant I reached where I am at now a lot faster, and with a better understanding of all that happened, than I would have by simply ruminating in my head alone. But what is this place I call “now”?

In recent months I’ve struggled to write the column. I’d previously been on or ahead

were still at the stage of just pondering a separation. In each case, we were able to skip the bullshit and talk in a refreshingly real way about our experiences—how we felt about them and what we were doing to get through it. I suddenly became a go-to person, with friends sending others, mostly women, who were at a similar crossroads to meet with me. Writing this column led me to make several new friendships, while also strengthening relationships with some of my existing friends. I am so grateful for all of the good that came of this, but now I’ve recognized it’s time to stop the column and begin my next chapter.

Ever since I learned how to work a pencil in elementary school, writing has been my most intrinsic form of trying to figure out the world and myself. Being able to work through the most challenging time in my

of deadline, but lately my poor editor has had to chase me down for delivery. So I paused and asked myself, “Why are you being such a pain in the ass about this?

You used to love doing this!” And I got my answer. “I’m not her anymore and I don’t want to pretend to be.” I didn’t want to have to sit and focus on myself as a separated woman with a failed marriage anymore.

Is that still part of who I am? Yup! But it sure as hell isn’t the defining component.

While my own process isn’t as spiritual as Eat, Pray, Love, or as physically demanding as Wild, I do have a process and I continue to prioritize it in my life. My connection to my family and friends is integral and keeps me going. Beyond my loved ones, it has been all about challenging myself and doing things I had dismissed or put off for no good reason: surfing, skydiving, storytelling events,

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12

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equestrian jumping, etc. By the time you read this I should have completed my first (and maybe last) standup comedy set and have my first two tattoos. Some might just call this a mid-life crisis. Maybe it is, I don’t know. But I’m finding ways to challenge my boundaries and make myself happy. And my kids seem to like having a mom who’s happy and does “crazy stuff” too.

Erin Skillen Post-Married Mommy If you’ve read previous columns, you know I’m proficient in the language of romantic comedies. And many of those comedies end with the lead character kissing someone and starting their so-called “happily ever after.” That’s not the case here. I’m single and it is the absolute best thing for me at this point. Sure, I have days where I wonder if I will ever be open to someone again. And then I (or one of my friends) interrupt/s with “STFU!” and I go play with my kids, jump on a horse or work as late as I please.

But enough about me (finally, right?).

Let’s talk about you. No matter where you’re at on your own journey—married, separated, divorced or never married—just make sure you’re not beating yourself up or denying yourself any time to do what you love. It’s incredibly difficult for an unhappy person to be in a happy relationship.

Parenting is hard enough without feeling like there isn’t an ounce of “you” left, and that your role as Mom or Dad is all you are anymore. It eats away at you, and then it eats away at your relationships with the people you love. And no one wants that.

So be kind to yourself. Please?

Thank you for this incredible opportunity to learn and grow. I hope you got at least some benefit from this year+ of oversharing—if only to be able to look at it and go “Wow, I’m glad that’s not me! What a dumpster fire!” As they say at the end of one of my guilty pleasure TV shows, “Ghost Hunters”—onto the next!

Erin Skillen is the co-founder and COO of FamilySparks.com, an education company that helps parents navigate the toughest job in the world. She’s also a mom and a bucket list slayer.

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Eco-Dfndrs Summer Camp!

July 28 – Aug 4 Denman Island BC Ages 11 – 14 Free

Join us for our second year of making films to open people’s eyes, start conversations and inspire action!

Sponsored by the Education Towards Change Society Info & Applications www.ecodfndrs.ca May 2018 13

Let’s Think About Thinking D

o you know that the greatest predictor of a child’s future success has little to do with their academic ability? Recent research indicates that a child’s beliefs about their ability to learn and think, greatly affects their future. Does your child believe that their talents and intelligence are growing entities? Or do they think that these attributes are blessings that we are simply born with, or without? Inevitably, we all experience challenge at some point in our lives. We have disagreements in our relationships. We struggle with academics. We don’t make the team or get the job that we want. The question is, what do we attribute these failures to?

As a teacher, I have had a front row seat to two very distinct mindsets in children.

In the face of challenge, one group has an

inner voice that whispers, “I can’t. This is hard. I am not smart enough/fast enough/ good enough. I am not enough.” These children see challenge as an obstacle and their natural inclination is to back away, for any potential failure could be a direct reflection of their intelligence. When something is difficult or not going well, they attribute this adversity to skills that they lack. You may hear a child say, “I can’t do this because I am bad at chemistry” or “I am a terrible athlete.” Children who see challenge through a negative lens, are weighed down by a “Fixed Mindset.” They do not see the potential for the possible evolution of their skill set.

The other group of children views challenge as an opportunity. It is a chance to learn, to explore, to experiment and to grow.

Their inner voice champions, “This may

be difficult, but that is okay. I may not be good at this YET, but I will keep trying.”

If these children fail, they tend to recognize external factors and know that, with increased time and effort, they can and will succeed. They understand that, perhaps they need to study more for the next test, or take better notes in class. Maybe they just need more practice riding that bicycle or working on that slapshot. These children possess a “Growth Mindset.”

It is important to talk with our children about the way we think and learn, for we want them to understand that learning takes time and effort. Our brains are incredible and malleable, capable of growth and change. Intelligence is not fixed, nor are our talents. If children believe that their brains have the ability to grow and that, with practice and perseverance, talents can be nurtured, it could have a tremendous effect on how they view their own potential. If a child believes that they are forever doomed to be bad at drawing or soccer or math, what motivation do they possess to keep working? However, if a child understands that a momentary struggle is an opportunity to learn, chances are, they will be intrinsically motivated to continue their efforts.

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14 Island Parent Magazine

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Even as adults, we sometimes fall prey to a “Fixed Mindset.” There have been many times when I have lamented my lack of parallel parking skills or knowledge about technology. As parents, however, we should be careful to recognize the gravity of these statements. My oldest son struggles in math.

In an effort to be empathetic, I once shared that I am bad at math too and understood

R  B M’ G, B,  T C

Kelly Cleeve his frustration. Though, on the surface, this statement seems well-intentioned and kind, it is laden with underlying messages.

In reality, what my son heard me say was that I am almost 40 years old and still bad at math. My empathy actually implied that since I struggled with math for my whole life, he will too. In his 11-year-old mind, he wondered why he should invest so much extra time trying to complete his assignments, if he was destined to fail. What I should have shared with him are positive self-affirmations that I use in times of chalOur Academy Programs are the lenge, or thoughts about effort, practice perfect combination of outdoor fun and attitude. and professional instruction. From In my classroom, we often discuss the private instruction to group camps, power of “Yet.” When struggling with a our programs are tailor-made for concept, skill or friendship issue, my stuall-ages and abilities. dents are encouraged to add the word “yet” to the end of their sentence. For example, Choose from golf, tennis, or cycling.

“I am not good at this, yet.” or “I do not understand this, yet.” By adding one simple word, it opens up a whole realm of posB E A R M O U N TA I N . C A sibility. The word “yet” reminds students that their skills are still evolving and that they need to keep trying. With practice, 2 5 0.74 4 . 2 3 2 7 | 1 9 9 9 CO U N T RY C L U B WAY, V I C TO R I A B C with problem solving, with critical and creative thinking, their current struggles can improve.

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I still have a lot of yets in my life. I am not a great cook, yet. My house is not clean, yet. I don’t have enough time or money to travel, yet. With time, effort and a creative Summer Day & Sleepover Camps plan, I see improvement in my future. It’s a positive outlook, don’t you think?

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May 2018 15

Morning Sickness W

alking into a room and scanning it for garbage cans in case a toilet is too far away…

Nightmares of my colleagues walking in on me throwing up in the staff bathroom.

Crying while my insides exit…

Wondering how I’ll manage to clean up my puke if I miss the toilet.

Loving my husband for unclogging the sink I’ve clogged…

Putting him on speaker phone when he’s away.

Trying crackers, trying vitamins, trying drugs.

Feeling weak, wanting bed, wanting to be held.

Wondering if I’m going to be okay…

Wondering how I will manage to have a baby if I can’t even get out of bed.

Missing my old self.

The smell of the compost.

The smell of the fridge.

The smell of the streets.

Wanting someone to take care of me…

Feeling embarrassed if anyone tries to take care of me.

Waiting till the 12th week to feel better…

Waiting for the 16th week to feel better.

Collapsing on the couch after work…

Missing my friends.

Going out then getting sick because I’m exhausted.

Julia Mais

Taking elevators…

Panting as I go upstairs.

Feeling overwhelmed by the boisterous people at the park.

Making sure I wash the dishes when I’m feeling well…

Managing my energy like a math equation.

Reading a lot.

Sleeping a lot.

Eating eggs every day.

Making life decisions when I’m half asleep.

Feeling like I am not growing a baby but becoming one.

Wondering if I’m failing the pregnancy nutrition guidelines…

Not leaving the house without water and crackers.

Eating Jolly Ranchers when I’m not feeling well…

Throwing up blue puke when they don’t work.

Julia Mais is a communications professional with an interest in social justice. She recently joined the ranks of motherhood where she has found exhaustion, love and hilarity in equal measure. You can learn more about her work at JuliaKMais.com.

th) a M d n a t r ering A e n i g n E tball y g e o k l s o a n h B c e s T t Spor cience S n ( m! o r o i r o s i f s n e a u s P J o • o s M ch rcu STEA Circus Ci nd much more to a 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 250-370-6120

16 Island Parent Magazine

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Yo! Mama

Wisdom, Tips, Advice & Ramblings “There’s no way to be a perfect mother and a million ways to be a good one.”

Jill Churchill, author

Top 10 Baby Names of 2018...so far (from babycenter.com): 1. Emma & Liam • 2. Olivia & Noah • 3. Ava & Oliver • 4. Isabella & Logan • 5. Sophia & Mason 6. Amelia & Lucas • 7. Mia & Ethan • 8. Charlotte & Elijah • 9. Harper & Aiden • 10. Mila & James

Five Gifts for a New Mom 1. Printed photos of the baby.

2. Photo storage (a subscription to Dropbox or an external storage device for their phone).

3. Netflix.

4. Meal delivery service or a gift card to their favourite take-out spot.

5. Housecleaning service.

From Huffington Post’s “20 Gift Ideas For New Parents Who, Let’s Face It, Need A Treat” by Natalie Stechyson at huffingtonpost.ca

What I Wish I’d Known as a New Mom

1 . Breast may be best, but formula is fine too if you can’t—for whatever reason—breast feed .

2 . Don’t rush home from the hospital . You have nurses waiting on you, room service, clean linens appearing without you ever having to load the washing machine…

Enjoy it! Things won’t be the same at home .

3 . It’s a baby, not an alien . In other words, don’t stress yourself out with fancy baby crap . The fancy stuff is fun, but most times unnecessary .

4 . Accept all babysitting offers . People love new babies and will be thrilled to hold your little one while you shower, cook a meal or take a nap . Holding a newborn is a joy . A two year old? Not so much . Take people up on their offers now, they have a very limited shelf life .

5 . Point the penis down to prevent leaky boy diapers .

Why on earth does nobody tell you this?

6 . Don’t buy infant clothes . You may not be able to resist a few pieces, but don’t go crazy . People will be giving you plenty and you will most likely just use the same few pieces right out of the dryer .

7 . Resist anything with a million snaps or buttons . As adorable as they may be, they’ll bring you to tears at three o’clock in the morning . Elasticized layettes will be your best friend for the first few weeks .

8 . Keep an emergency diaper kit in the car . Be prepared .

9 . Ask for help . Once you’re a mom you become a member of “the mom club .” We’ve all been there before– I’m never ashamed to ask a stranger with kids if she can spare a few spare wipes should mine run out and am happy to give that crying kid at the park some goldfish . We’re all human, you know .

10 . Enjoy it . Not because it goes by so fast (and it does,) but because as exhausted as you may be, the first few months are truly the easiest . If you should have another child, you will wonder why you thought a single newborn was so tough . But you’ll never believe it until you’re there .

From What I Wish I’d Known as a New Mom, from scarymommy.com.

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Illustration: Audrey T (4) • Compliments of Rebecca Joy Studios • rebeccajoystudios.com

#inthetrenches Li’l Edie Pentland @JennyPentland

I just asked my 8yo to quit yelling and he said, “I’m NOT yelling. This is my voice and all my life I’ve been whispering. Now I’m free!”

Bunmi Laditan @HonestToddler Receptionist at pediatrician’s office: Child’s birth date and year?

Me, mother of 3: Wow ok I didn’t know there was going to be maths *nervous laughter* let’s see he’s four, it was late April or May, rainy I think, he’s a classic Gemini if that helps, this isn’t in his file?

Mickey @Hypercraxy Currently helping my son search for his chocolate that I ate last night.

Ilana Wiles @mommyshorts Asked to switch seats on the plane because I was sitting next to a crying baby. Apparently that’s not allowed if the baby is yours.

Sarcastic Mommy @sarcasticmommy4 “You’re not the boss of me,” I whisper under my breath, as I make four different lunches for my kids.

Banana smoothies Ingredients: 2 ripe bananas, cut into 1-inch chunks 1⁄2 cup plain yogurt 1 cup fresh orange juice

2 Tbsp honey 2 Tbsp wheat germ 2 cups crushed ice

In a blender, combine the bananas with the yogurt, orange juice, honey, wheat germ and crushed ice. Blend at high speed until smooth and frothy. Adjust the sweetness with more honey or orange juice and serve.

May 2018

17

A Lesson in Choices A

Strong Start Early Learning Centres Locations & Hours Colwood Elementary

3000 Wishart Rd, Colwood 250-478-2332 Mon–Fri 8:45–11:45am

John Muir Elementary

7179 West Coast Rd, Sooke 250-642-5427 Mon/Thurs/Fri 9:15am–12:15pm Tues/Wed 1:00–3:00pm

Outreach Centres Hans Helgeson Elementary Outreach

4983 Rocky Point Rd, Metchosin 250-478-3431 Tues 8:45–11:45am Wed 9:00am field trip series

Port Renfrew Elementary outreach

Ruth King Elementary

6633 Deering Rd, Port Renfrew 250-647-5577 Mon night for dinner

Millstream Elementary

Guiding children towards the discovery of their full potential

2764 Jacklin Rd, Langford 250-478-8368 Mon–Fri 8:45–11:45am 626 Hoy Lake Rd, Langford 250-478-8348 Mon–Fri 8:45–11:45am

Willway Elementary

2939 Mt. Wells Dr, Langford 250-478-1213 Mon–Fri 8:45–11:45am *start times subject to change

18 Island Parent Magazine

nd there we stood for what seemed like an hour. He was 13 and not much of a talker. I was 37, a recent single mom to his cousins and not at all prepared for what was about to happen.

I had known him all his life. He was my brother’s child, my nephew, and only four months older than my own son. In reality, though, I barely knew him. His dad and mom both had addiction issues and for my own sanity, I had kept my distance. I always did the good-Aunty duty and took him on holidays with my family each summer, but he kept busy with my kids and we both avoided prolonged interaction. His life was not ideal, but he loved his parents and he never complained.

Until that day.

He was waiting for an answer as he stood staring at me across the kitchen. He was already five inches taller than me but his lanky shoulders slumped in surrender. I was a full-time university student, financially drained from my divorce, and now this kid I barely knew was asking for a favour.

Could he stay?

Not for the rest of the weekend, but forever. He was asking for the life he had deserved from day one, a life like my kids had: stable, clean and loving.

I stood in awkward silence, unsure of what to say, yet I also knew I had little choice. How could I say no?

The next few months were chaotic, filled with mediation appointments, medical check-ups and visits with social services. I was ill prepared for the amount of emotional support that was now being asked of me. My nephew was malnourished, suffered from insomnia and barely had passing grades.

My brother was fine with my son moving in with us but my nephew’s mother was not. Daily abusive text messages dinged on my phone, claiming ownership over my nephew and demanding his return. Threats of sending the police to retrieve him and a preference for foster care, rather than my

Ministry of Education School District #62 (Sooke) acknowledges the financial support of the BC Ministry fo Education

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home, became our new normal. With each passing week, my nephew spoke more of his life. He had never been in an organized sport, couldn’t stomach Kraft Dinner due to overconsumption, and shuddered when I suggested McDonald’s for a treat.

He was unaccustomed to vegetables or a home-cooked meal and complained that my dinners had very little taste. I told him that he would get used to unsalted food.

Shannon K. Auringer

For awhile, I was angry at my brother and his ex-girlfriend—and even more, at myself.

How did I not see, for so many years, what now seemed so obvious? I was ashamed of my inner conflict between doing the right thing and wanting my life to go back to being drama-free and simple. I was now a full-time parent once again, even though my own children were only home 60 per cent of the time. I resented that my kid-free weekends were over and my dating life had come to a screaching halt. I had more laundry to do, another set of activities to manage and another mouth to feed with no financial support. My focus turned to establishing a routine for me and my new kid and deep down, I hoped his parents would get their priorities straight—sooner rather than later.

A full year passed before we noticed. My nephew had begun to sleep through the night, he had a good group of friends, and he had stopped getting sick when he exerted too much energy in his sports activities. I had gotten used to my new house-mate and weekends at home. The negative text messages from his old life had all but come to an end. My kids treated their cousin like another brother, and as a family we became more resilient and solid. My inner narcissist would like to think I saved him, but the reality is that the situation saved us all.

Shannon K. Auringer lives in Victoria with her family. She spends her spare time globetrotting and writing for her travel website. For more of Shannon’s work, visit dougandshannon.com or Instagram @dougandshannon

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Shop Local. Ship Local.

Nanaimo to Victoria: Free shipping on most website orders over $100

koolandchild.com Kool Toys & Teaching Tools

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Products & Services for New Parents Bellies in Bloom believes in providing clothing for every moment—before, during and after pregnancy. We’ve taken the guesswork out of which brands to choose from and hand picked the best of the best.

We believe in quality products that are exceptionally made and versatile. Come see for yourself why we are Victoria’s #1 destination for nursing wear and bras. We have an extensive selection and offer onsite fitting to ensure a perfect fit. Shop bellies.ca.

downtown Duncan providing BCST to all ages. A large aspect of her practice is working with pregnant mothers, newborns and children. She has observed extensive pre and perinatal issues benefiting from BCST. She is a member of the Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy Association of North America, Association for Pre and Perinatal Health and Psychology, and Neurological Wellness Association. 250-748-5551 cowichancraniosacral.com.

The Burnside Gorge Community Association offers Parent & Tot drop-in programs throughout the week that are free or low-cost. 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.

Suite 228, 102–15910 Fraser Highway, Surrey BC V4N 0X9

20 Island Parent Magazine

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, Cowichan Craniosacral. Christina Hamill Nanaimo. 1-888-390-1775. koolandchild.

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Momease Baby Boutique specializes in innovative and functional baby gear and parenting accessories. Centrally located in Victoria, 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 parents. Visit us at our bright and bustling boutique at 1581 Hillside Avenue (778-265-5651), right across from Hillside Centre, or shop 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. 250-595-4905. motheringtouch.ca.

comfort and fit, with extra room for diapers and adjustable length for growth. Perfect for cloth-diapering, babywearing, travelling, crawling and active play, you’ll find the highest standard of quality in these comfy, cute and practical designs. Visit Sugar Sandwich Design on Facebook and Instagram, or webstore at sugarsandwich.com 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 arrive 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. Pay online with a credit card or pay upon pickup or delivery of your groceries with VISA, MasterCard, Amex, “SmileCard” or Debit. Visit thriftyfoods. 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 Spina Bifida. Something so small can make able to find the right thing to make any such a big difference. Folic acid reduces the new parent happy. We’re easy to find at risk of birth defects such as spina bifida. It is 3045-c Douglas St. (enter off Larch St)… found in some foods, but for most women, we’re under Sleep Country. 250-386-2229. eating fortified food is not enough. To reach the recommended daily level you will need a Welcome Wagon’s New Parent Market vitamin supplement and it should be taken reaches new mothers with greetings and at least three months before pregnancy. congratulations personally presented at Help protect your baby before it is born by home after the birth of their babies. A getting enough folic acid daily. sbhabc.org. 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 Sugar Sandwich Design Studio is home and educational information. It is given to to Grow Along Babywear™, the amazing her before baby is born. For more informa“growth-spurt friendly” clothing for babies tion please visit welcomewagon.ca or call and tots. Handcrafted Canadian-made 1-866-518-7287.• Grow Alongs™ are designed for long-lasting

IslandParent.ca

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Serving the Families of Vancouver Island for Over 23 Years The Kiddies Store

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We Can Do Better than this

M

an, not the best year for parents, is it?

By that I mean—judging by some recent headlines—we’re doing a pisspoor job these days.

For example, let’s take a look at a few of the articles about parents I’ve had the misfortune of reading in the past little while.

First off was a brutal cover story in a national magazine with the “brave” headline, “I Wish I Never had Kids. There. I Said It” plastered underneath a photo of some kid who’s going to grow up to one day see that headline and be, to say the least, seriously bummed.

The article talks with moms who “are no longer afraid to admit they hate being a mom,” according to the cover text.

I’m no longer afraid to admit that’s a crappy attitude, especially when your kids will grow up to read this stuff. The article features such clever insights as “self-fulfillment often isn’t anywhere on the menu” when it comes to parenting, a food analogy that makes no sense and is also just stupid because having a kid isn’t about you.

And that’s what most of the parents in this article seem to be focused on: themselves. The photos are even worse, horrid visual documentations of grumpy people whose kids, again, are going to have some serious questions for their parents when they get older.

After finishing this article, I was pretty despondent; the me-first attitude displayed throughout was a total insult to all the amazing, self-sacrificing parents I see every day.

So it was extra painful when I saw on my Facebook feed a photograph being spread around of a mom sleeping on the grass at her kid’s sporting event. That in itself isn’t too bad; it’s sort of funny. We can all relate—I think I’ve quickly nodded off at inappropriate times myself—but the reason it was being spread (note: not by this mom, who is, hopefully, horrified by

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

22

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all this) is because she is being hailed as a, brace yourself, “hero” for this.

You know what? That’s not hero behaviour.

I don’t blame her at all, and like I say, it’s kinda funny, but more a mistake than anything. The people sharing this online and saying this is hero behaviour have some pretty warped views of what kids need from a parent. Being a hero for your kid is, you know, STAYING AWAKE at their events so when they look over you give them a thumbs up and it makes them feel good.

Greg Pratt Dadspeak I get it: you’re tired. So am I. It’s called being a parent.

Then there was the article, “Why I’m Teaching My Daughter to be Rude” and variants thereof, along with a few opinion pieces that cropped up over the span of a few months that, granted, had a few good points in them, but, you know what? I’m teaching my kids to be polite. The world needs less rude people, and the writers of these columns sound about as pleasant to be around as the “I’m upset life is no longer just about me” parents in the “I’m brave enough to admit I regret having kids” story.

Absolutely, teach your kids to be smart, and to be strong and independent, but for crying out loud, teach them to be polite and respectful. Clearly, society needs it.

I know these “daring”—yawn—headlines sell, but, seriously, let’s try to step it up a notch for the last half of 2018, parents. These stories make us all look like self-centred jerks who only care about ourselves, don’t love our kids, and certainly don’t care enough about anyone we don’t know to give them some common courtesies (perish the thought).

It’s not easy being a parent, but it’s definitely not hero behaviour to pass out at a kid’s soccer game and to be rude to strangers and to go public about not wanting your kids. Seriously. We can do better than this.

Greg Pratt is the father of two children and a local journalist and editor. His writing has appeared in, among other places, Today’s Parent, Wired, Revolver and Douglas.

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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.

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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.

There are over 1,000 foster children on Vancouver Island Can you help just one?

Do you have room in your home and in your heart to help one child? Can you include one more in that day at the beach, the Saturday popcorn and movie night, or the family dinner? There are children and youth on Vancouver Island right now who are not able to live with their families. They need a temporary home, a safe haven where they can stay while they and their families heal and become strong again.

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GIVE-A-$HEET You Can “Bridge People to Nature”

DID YOU KNOW...

Your donation to Phase II of the

“Bridges to Nature” Floating Boardwalk Campaign Will ~ no matter the size ~

* Each $heet of fiberglass decking will cost aprox $500 * Each $ection of the Phase II floating Boardwalk Project will cost aprox $5,000 $800,000 is required to span the lake

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Call 250.479.0211 or visit swanlake.bc.ca to donate

“Give-a-$HEET” and help Bridge People to Nature Today!

24 Island Parent Magazine

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Books for the maternally Inclined Thanks to our intrepid band of reviewer mamas—Shannon K. Auringer, Jerri Carson, Amalia Colussi, and Gypsy Siegner—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.

Quiet Power: The Secret Strengths of Introverts by Susan Cain Susan Cain’s book, Quiet Power: The Secret Strengths of Introverts is an in-depth examination, in an easy-to-read format, explaining what it is to be an introvert and how to embrace it. The author includes several personal examples and anecdotes along with stories from others, which engages the reader right from the start.

Cain examines how society is, more times than not, too comfortable with the notion that extroverted personalities are seen as more “normal” and how it is the “outspoken” and “outgoing” kids that are frequently rewarded in school and further on in life. At the same time, she claims, quieter individuals tend to be less noticed, overlooked and many times even misunderstood.

Cain begins by defining exactly what it is to be introverted, including the different levels, and then moves quickly into solution-based ideas, acceptance, and the benefits of being an introvert. She discusses how being an introvert can be viewed as more of a super power, and how to use it to one’s advantage instead of seeing it as a hindrance.

Although this book is targeted at youth, I highly recommend it to every parent, even those with newborns. As an introverted product of the late 80s, I found myself thinking, if only there was a book like this back then. It is an amazing gift of selfrealization as well as personal acceptance and is an excellent read for anyone who is either introverted themselves, regardless of age, or seeking to understand a more introverted person in their life. SKA

Growing Strong Girls: Practical Tools to Cultivate Connection in Preteen years

by Lindsay Sealey.

BFFs and frenemies, anxiety and perfectionism, self-harm and aggression, all on display via social media…What have I gotten myself into? My daughter is barely two and Growing Strong Girls presents an intimidating litany of challenges she may face seven or eight years hence. Yikes.

Luckily the book’s focus is practical and its pages are chock-a-block with tips and resources for bypassing or diffusing common trials and tribulations of preteen girls.

Broken into short chapters, the book is written in accessible, though sometimes clichéd, language that makes for a quick read. Each chapter includes conversation starters and activities to develop or strengthen a connection with your daughter. Many chapters also list books, TED Talks and other resources for more details on a specific topic.

With nearly a decade to go before my wee lass becomes a preteen, I can’t yet vouch for the book’s effectiveness. However, the overarching concept—that spending time cultivating a meaningful connection with your daughter is the most valuable thing you can offer her, and her best bet for reaching adulthood relatively unscathed—seems like sound advice. I expect I’ll be referring to this book regularly when preteendom hits.

AC Parent Speak: What’s Wrong with How We Talk to Our Children—and What to Say Instead by Jennifer Lehr Along with being a mom, author Jennifer Lehr has obviously done her research. This is evidenced throughout the book and with the 40+ resources provided at the end. Even the table of contents is exhaustive.

You’ll discover why we should ditch the old-school parenting phrases that we

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heard while we were growing up—“Good job!”…“Say you’re sorry!”…“Don’t cry, you’re okay!”…“Where’s my kiss?”—and replace them with new ones. Not only does Lehr’s book challenge the old ways of communicating with our kids, but it also provides insightful new alternatives.

The book is surprisingly thought provoking in the area of subtle societal prejudices against children. Don’t let this scare you away as it is highly significant to changing our thoughts and patterns of behaviour.

What’s not so surprising, but meaningful nonetheless, is the clarity the author provides around the long-lasting impact parents have on our children—and future generations—when we, perhaps unwittingly, fall back on outdated Parent Speak. We need to support our children with thoughtful responses when we are talking with each other. Worth a mention but not a big deal, I found some areas to be a little long. Overall the book is definitely worth the time. I have already recommended this book to my friends and will continue to re-visit this text as I work through changing some of my own parenting habits. GS Parent Hacks by Asha Dornfest Every parent needs simple yet effective suggestions to help them cope through daily family life. Parent Hacks by Asha Dornfest is the ideal book to meet this need. On every page, discover easy-to-do solutions that are sure to make a parent’s life just a little bit easier. Illustrated with easy-tofollow illustrations, the book contains 134 ingenious ideas for simplifying life with kids. Parent Hacks contains tips and tricks that all parents will find worthwhile and amusing. Looking for the perfect way to organize your kids colouring books and crayons? Want to keep your kids from rolling out of bed? Want to keep shampoo out of your kids’ eyes? Need to make custom blackout window shades? Well, look no further. This book has every solution and it will make household chores just a little bit easier. There is even a chapter on Holidays and Special Occasions where you will find out how to help a forgetful Tooth Fairy or how to store gift wrap with a paper tube.

The 11 chapters include topics ranging from Pregnancy and Postpartum, through, Organization, Food and Mealtime, Getting Dressed, Health and Safety, and more. All the hacks are worth trying and sharing with your parent friends. This book is a useful guide and it will make life less demanding and more fun. JC IslandParent.ca

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May 2018 27

Family Calendar M

For calendar updates throughout the month visit IslandParent.ca

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Victoria & CRD

May the Force Be With You 2:30pm at Juan de Fuca Branch Library Join the library in a galaxy not so far away for Star Wars inspired stories, activities, and crafts. For ages 8-12. Register online or call for more information.

Free. gvpl.ca. 250-940-GVPL (4875).

Times available: 9-10am, 10-11am or 11-noon. Register online or call for more information. Free. gvpl.ca.

250-940-GVPL (4875).

Spanish-English Storytime 10:30am at Oak Bay Branch Library Enjoy a bilingual storytime and craft, and learn simple Spanish-language songs and phrases. For Nanaimo & Area young children and their families; children under 3 must be accompanied by an adult. Register online Home Learners Monthly Meetup or call for more information. Free. gvpl.ca. 2501pm at Oliver Woods Community Centre Resource library, gym time, parent support, special 940-GVPL (4875). events throughout the year. $5/family drop in fee; $20/year-long membership. nanaimocommunity- Origami: The Art of Paper Folding WEDNESDAY nd 1:30pm at Oak Bay Branch Library homelearners.org.

Discover the joyful art of origami with local origami Nanaimo & Area enthusiast Stephen Tran. No cutting or gluing, just Youth Week Artastic Workshop paper folding pure and simple. For ages 7-12. Reg4pm at Oceanside Place Art Studio Starlight Skate Celebrate Youth Week by getting creative. Let Jenny ister online or call for more information. Free. gvpl.

6:30pm at Nanaimo Ice Centre An opportunity to come out and enjoy the soft Hughes guide you through a fantastic painting ca. 250-940-GVPL (4875). light “stars” and passive LED glow lights. A great or pouring project. No experience necessary. All time for families before dinner. Regular admission. supplies, drinks and snacks are provided. Free, Cougar Capers but you must pre-register. rdn.bc.ca/recreation. 1pm at Sooke Potholes Regional Park 250-756-5200.

Investigate the life of a cougar on this informative 250-248-3252. walk and talk with a CRD Regional Parks naturalist. friday th Meet at the CRD Parking Lot #2. 5+ years. Free. crd.

SATURDAY th bc.ca/parks. 250-478-3344.

Victoria & CRD Victoria & CRD Free Comic Book Day School’s Out Swim 9am at Central Branch Library 1:30pm at Panorama Recreation Teen Volunteers: Button-Making Dress up like your favourite comic character, enter 1885 Forest Park Drive At Central Branch Library Come for a fun-filled Pro-D Day swim. $2. panora- Earn volunteer hours by running an easy-to-use to win awesome prizes, and check out the library’s marecreation.ca. 250-656-7271. button-making machine at GVPL’s Comic Book Day selection of comics, manga, and graphic novels. event. First-time volunteers, please complete the Everyone will receive a free comic or two if you Teen Volunteer Referral form at gvpl.ca/volunteer. dress up! While supplies last. Everyone welcome.

Drop-in event. Free. gvpl.ca. 250-940-GVPL (4875).

Musical Storytime 1:30pm at Esquimalt Branch Library Take part in music-making and storytelling in this action-packed session led by Nicole Payle, early childhood music educator at the Victoria Conservatory of Music. For ages 3-5. Register online or call for more information. Free. gvpl.ca. 250-940-GVPL (4875).

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Nanaimo & Area

TUESDAY

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NLSF Hello Spring Craft and Artisanal Market 10am at Nanaimo District Secondary School 355 Wakesiah Ave Nanaimo-Ladysmith Schools Foundation (NLSF) is bringing back their popular spring craft market.

Come check out the artisanal crafts and don’t forget to enter this year’s raffle for two tickets anywhere WestJet flies or a $500 Co-op gas card. By donation. nlsf.ca. nlsfevents@gmail.com.

Victoria & CRD

Emergency Preparedness Workshop 1pm at Victoria City Hall Antechamber Are you and your family prepared for an emergency such as a power outage, winter storm, earthquake or tsunami? Your family needs to have enough food, water and supplies to cope for at least seven days without outside assistance, depending on the emergency. Learn the hazards that can affect Victoria, Dive-in Movie for Youth Week what to include in your emergency kits, what you 1pm at Nanaimo Aquatic Centre can do to protect your home from an earthquake, Celebrate Youth Week with a movie in the pool. Every- and how to reunite with your loved ones after a one welcome, but youth get in free! 250-756-5200. disaster. Free. VictoriaReady.ca. 250-920-3373. emvic@victoria.ca.

Youth Week Teen Swim 7pm at Ravensong Aquatic Centre WEDNESDAY th 737 James St Celebrate Youth Week with a swim. Youth 13-18 can Victoria & CRD celebrate with a wild, wet, and active swim with friends. Free. rdn.bc.ca/recreation. 250-752-5014. Sensory Storytime: Dog’s Colourful Day 10:30am at Central Branch Library The Great Garage Sale This program features sensory-rich stories, move9am at Oceanside Place Arena ment and songs appropriate for preschoolers with 830 W. Island Hwy autism or sensory processing issues and preschoolClean out that attic and sell no longer needed ers who thrive on routine. For ages 3-5; maximum items. The arena will be transformed into a giant of 2 children per accompanying adult. Parent and flea market with lots of room for those wonder- caregiver participation is required. Register online ful treasures to find new homes. Free. rdn.bc.ca/ or call for more information. Free. gvpl.ca. 250recreation. 250-248-3252.

940-GVPL (4875).

9

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SATURDAY th AND SUNDAY

THURSDAY

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Victoria & CRD Move for Health Day At Panorama Recreation 1885 Forest Park Drive Focuses on physical activity in communities all around the globe. Come and celebrate all day with $2 admission to all drop-in programs. panoramarecreation.ca. 250-656-7271.

Ladies Night at the Market 5pm at Victoria Public Market at The Hudson 1701 Douglas Street #6 Features 20+ Local Artisan Vendors, Live Music, a Mason Jar Succulent Workshop hosted by Platinum Floral Designs, a FREE Photobooth by Island Photobooth, and more. Free. facebook.com/ events/278747185997079. 778-433-2787. admin@ victoriapublicmarket.com.

Family Fort Night 6:30pm at Juan de Fuca Branch Library Enjoy an evening storytime and build your own fort in the library. Bring your family, a flashlight, and your Fairfield Artists Studio Tour (F.A.S.T. ) imagination. For children and their families. Register 11am-4pm in Fairfield Neighbourhood A annual self-guided tour that provides art-lovers online or call for more information. Free. gvpl.ca.

Nanaimo & Area an opportunity to meet over 20 local artists & view 250-940-GVPL (4875). their fine art. Free. fairfieldartistsstudiotour.com.

Fireside Stories & Songs 250-598-8726. maerycallaghan@live.com.

6:30pm at Westwood Lake Campground 380 Westwood Rd.

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Come for a traditional campfire and marshmallow roast. Learn to share and remember traditional campfire stories and songs. Bring your flashlight. $10/person; $25/family. 250-756-5200.

FRIDAY

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Victoria & CRD DigiLab: Phone Photography 4pm at Central Branch Library Learn how to take the photos on your phone to the next level. Bring your own handheld device or use one of DigiLab’s. Snacks included. For ages 13-18.

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

SATURDAY

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Victoria & CRD Pyjama Storytime 10:30am at Langford Heritage Branch Library Put on your pjs and cuddle up for bedtime stories at the library. Bring your favourite stuffie. For young children and their families; children under 3 must be accompanied by an adult. Please register online or call for more information. Free. gvpl.ca. 250-940GVPL (4875).

30 Island Parent Magazine

Storytime is a... Drag 2:30pm at Central Branch Library Join Victoria’s Drag Queen, Kings, and Things for a fun afternoon. Enjoy a storytime, music, sing-along, crafts and games. Everyone welcome; children under 3 must be accompanied by an adult. Register online or call for more information. Free. gvpl.ca.

250-940-GVPL (4875).

the park to help protect their habitat. For 5 to 10 year olds. $12/person. 250-756-5200.

SUNDAY

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Mother’s Day At Panorama Recreation Birds of Witty’s 1885 Forest Park Drive 9:30am at Witty’s Lagoon Regional Park Celebrate Mother’s Day. Moms receive free admisWitty’s Lagoon Regional Park is a birder’s paradise sion to drop-in activities such as swimming, weight due to a combination of freshwater, salt water, room, and fitness classes. Free. panoramarecremudflat, grassland, and forest ecosystems. For the ation.ca. 250-656-7271. novice and intermediate birder, join a CRD Regional parks naturalist for a glimpse of some of the birds 23rd Annual Royal Roads University Mother’s Day that reside and visit this park. Bring binoculars if you Paint-in and Craft Fair have them. Meet at the Witty’s Lagoon Nature Centre 11am at Hatley Park National Historic Site off Metchosin Rd. 8+ years. BC Transit #54 or #55. 2005 Sooke Rd Free. crd.bc.ca/parks. 250-478-3344.

Celebrate with the whole family in historical Hatley Park with local artists, entertainers and food. royalNanaimo & Area roads.ca/event/23rd-annual-royal-roads-universitymother%E2%80%99s-day-paint-and-craft-fair-0.

For the Bats!

250-391-2666. paint-in@royalroads.ca.

10am at Linley Point Gyro Park Did you know that a single little brown bat can eat Mommy and Me @ Kindergym more than 1,000 mosquitoes in an hour? Learn about 9am at Panorama Recreation local bat species and paint a bat house to place in 1885 Forest Park Drive Bring your mom to kindergym for some free-play fun.

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Free admission to all mom and tot pairs. For 1-5 years old. Free. panoramarecreation.ca. 250-656-7271.

Nanaimo & Area Learn to Fish 1pm at Colliery Dam Park Join the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC and learn the basics of freshwater fishing. Rapala fishing rods are provided, and program runs rain or shine.

Parent participation required. Free. 250-756-5200.

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Victoria & CRD Asian Heritage Month: Japanese and English Picture Card Theatre 10:30am at Central Branch Library Enjoy a bilingual Japanese/English storytime using the “picture theatre” format from Japan. Make an art project after listening to traditional folktales told

by Wakana Takai-MacLean, a certified translator. For ages 3-5. Register online or call for more information.

Free. gvpl.ca. 250-940-GVPL (4875).

Newly Opened BC Independent Boarding School – Grade 9 to 12

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Story Club 3:30pm at Central Branch Library Join Story Club and engage with other kids over books, games and crafts. In this series, kids will listen to stories, share their thoughts and experiences, and enjoy group activities. Snacks provided.

For ages 6-9. Please register online or call for more information. Free. gvpl.ca. 250-940-GVPL (4875).

FRIDAY

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Victoria & CRD DigiLab: Explore VR 3:30pm at Central Saanich Branch Library Climb a peak in Utah, or attend a lantern festival by moonlight. Do all this and more with Google Cardboard’s do-it-yourself virtual reality headset and a smartphone. For ages 13-18. Register online or call for more information. Free. gvpl.ca. 250940-GVPL (4875).

Nanaimo & Area

Summer FUN at GNS

Registration for Summer Camps at GNS opens on April 3, 2018.

www.mygns.ca/summer-fun

School’s Out Everyone Welcome Swim 1pm at Ravensong Aquatic Centre 737 James St Stay active on your day off from school with a swim.

The lifeguards will have the inflatable toys out for a splashing good time. Reduced rate admission. rdn. bc.ca/recreation. 250-752-5014.

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May 2018 31

saturday

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Victoria & CRD The Beach Rocks 1pm 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. All ages. Free. crd.bc.ca/parks. 250-478-3344.

Nanaimo & Area Splish Splash Swim 10am at Ravensong Aquatic Centre 737 James St The lifeguards are going to bring out all the pool toys for you to enjoy. From the rope swing to the snake, to the dino ribs, there will be water play for everyone. Regular admission. rdn.bc.ca/recreation.

250-752-5014.

KIDS 12 & UNDER FREE

sunday

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Victoria & CRD

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Sandy Shore Explore 1pm 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 at the kiosk near the main beach off Metchosin Rd. All ages. BC Transit #54 or #55. Free. crd.bc.ca/parks. 250-478-3344.

Nanaimo & Area Glow in the Dark Skate 3pm at Cliff McNabb Arena Skate in an atmosphere of dimmed lighting and special effects. Regular admission. 250-756-5200.

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Canvas Family Fest 11am at Veterans Memorial Park Enjoy 3 amazing inflatables, more than 20 game and arts & crafts booths, prizes, live music, face painting, tea, lemonade, hamburgers, and hot dogs. Free. canvaschurch.ca/events/special-events/ canvas-family-festival. 250-886-6379. courtney@ canvaschurch.ca.

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WEDNESDAY

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SUNDAY

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Victoria & CRD

Victoria & CRD

Emergency Preparedness Workshop 7pm at Victoria City Hall Antechamber See TUES 8 for details. Free. VictoriaReady.ca. 250920-3373. emvic@victoria.ca.

Team 4 Hope’s 7th Annual Touch A Truck 11am at Panorama Recreation Centre 1885 Forest Park Drive Rev up the kids! Team 4 Hope’s Touch A Truck is back. A day full of family fun. Trucks, family activities, bouncy castles, food, face painting, music and more. $15 per family (advance), $20 at the door. team4hope.com. bawligirl@gmail.com.

FRIDAY

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Victoria & CRD Teen Lounge: Hamster Balls 6pm at Brentwood Bay Teen Lounge A couple giant human hamster balls are coming to Teen Lounge. You’ll have a blast rolling around inside one of these. panoramarecreation.ca. 250656-7271.

SATURDAY

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Victoria & CRD Esquimalt Clothing & Toy Exchange 10am at Wheeley Hall, Esquimalt United Church 500 Admirals Rd Esquimalt Clothing & Toy Exchange is a nonjudgemental, non-stressful, wheelchair & stroller friendly clothing exchange. Please bring a bag and take as much or as little as you want. Kids grow out of clothing so quickly. All sizes, all styles. Free. facebook.com/esquimaltexchange. esquimaltexchange@gmail.com.

Spring Sensory Snoop 10am at Francis/King Regional Park Bring your preschooler to celebrate spring at Francis/ King. Wake up your senses on a wander through the forest. Look for spring colours, listen for birds calling, smell forest perfume and more. Meet at the Francis/King Nature Centre off Munn Rd. 5 years and under. Free. crd.bc.ca/parks. 250-478-3344.

16th Annual Bioregional Fair 11am-3pm at Oak & Orca School 2738 Higgins Street (near Cook & Hillside) Take part in a celebration of community, bioregionalism, and education! Fun children’s activities, healthful food/bake sale, silent auction of local treasures, interactive workshops. info@oakandorca.ca.

Plants and Pollinators Noon at Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary 3873 Swan Lake Rd A celebration of the birds, the bees, and the plants that they need. Did you know a third of the food we eat is a result of insect pollination? Learn what you can do to help our pollinators through familyfriendly games, crafts, strolls through the native plant garden, interactive displays, and planting seeds to take home. Event sponsored by the VNHS, Pollinator Partnership and the CapitalRegion Beekeepers Association. Admission by donation. swanlake. bc.ca. 250-479-0211.

Nanaimo & Area Learn to Fish 10:30am at Long Lake (Loudon Park) Join the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC and learn the basics of freshwater fishing. Rapala fishing rods are provided, and program runs rain or shine.

Parent participation required. Free. 250-756-5200.

Life at the Beach 10am at Pipers Lagoon Traditional Indigenous Storytime There is a mysterious world living just beneath the 10am at Bruce Hutchison Branch Library Join Surrounded by Cedar Children and Family surface of our oceans and streams. Explore in search Services for a monthly storytelling group featuring of those critters, and learn about the life surroundtraditional storytellers, art and songs. For families. ing the shoreline. 3 to 6 years. Parent participation Please register online or call for more information. required. $12/person. 250-756-5200.

Free. gvpl.ca. 250-940-GVPL (4875).

Teen Lounge: PJ Party 6pm at Greenglade Community Centre Grab a blanket or sleeping bag and pull on your favourite pajamas for a pj party complete with sleepover games, activities, movies, and more. panoramarecreation.ca. 250-656-7271.

IslandParent.ca

TUESDAY

29

th

Cowichan Valley Cowichan Green Community Annual General Meeting 4:30pm at Duncan Reformed Christian Church 930 Trunk Rd Join in a guest presentation and eat local eat

Community Board Making our Community a Better Place to Live

Art Gallery of Greater Victoria aggv.ca Camp Pringle CampPringle.com Caregiver Support Sessions caregiversupport.net Child Care Resource & Referral childcarevictoria.ca Foster Parent Support Services Society fpsss.com Island Farm Fresh islandfarmfresh.com Oxford Learning oxfordlearning.com Royal BC Museum royalbcmuseum.bc.ca VictoriaChildren’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 May 2018 33

fresh potluck dinner. In order to vote, you must be a member in good standing 30 days prior to the events date. You can purchase a membership by visiting: https://cowichangreencommunity.org/ product/cgc-membership. 250-748-8506. jennifer@ cowichangreencommunity.org.

O n g oin g PRESCHOOL Victoria & CRD Baby Time At Greater Victoria Public Library Locations Learn songs, rhymes and fingerplays to use with your baby every day. Drop in. For babies 0-15 months and parents or caregiver. Until May 18. Check gvpl.ca for dates, times and locations.

postpartum adjustment, sleep and more. Drop in at Cowichan Valley any point. Bring a blanket for your baby to lie on, or Family Storytime at Cowichan Library, Duncan. Bring for tummy time. $2. 250-475-7600. the whole family for stories, songs, rhymes and fun.

For ages 0-5. Tuesdays 10:30-11:30am. 2687 James Good Morning Storytime Thursdays 10:30-11:15am at Sidney/North Saanich St. krumohr@virl.bc.ca.

Branch Library Bring your littlest ones to the library for stories, CHILDREN songs, rhymes, and lots of movement. 250-6560944. virl.bc.ca.

Victoria & Area Family Storytime At Greater Victoria Public Library Locations Fun-filled stories, songs, rhymes and puppets. Dropin. For young children and their families; children under 3 must be accompanied by an adult. Until May 18. Check gvpl.ca for dates, times and locations.

Young Parent Weekly Drop-in Thursdays 10am-noon at Kiwanis Family Centre.

Come and 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 Baby’s First Year Mondays 11:15am-12:45pm until June 25 at Saanich and household supplies. Staff available to help with information about relevant local resources, advoCommonwealth Place A drop-in community support for families with babies. cacy and counselling support, help with paperwork, Discuss, share and connect with other new parents. and parenting support. 250-382-1004.

Chat about infant feeding, babywearing, safety,

Museum Tots Saturdays 11am at Maritime Museum A weekly program introducing children 2-5 to the fun world of museum learning. New theme each week, allowing children to learn through crafts, play, games, song, and dance. $5/child. 250-385-4222.

Cowichan Valley Family Storytime at Cowichan Library, Duncan. Bring the whole family for stories, songs, rhymes and fun.

For ages 0-5. Tuesdays 10:30-11:30am. 2687 James St. krumohr@virl.bc.ca.

STAGES Su m mer Pro g ra ms Running This July & August

Yo u t h

Da n c

e C a m P reFs c h o o ps or 3-5 yearl D a n c olds eC Mus in ical Thea Ballet, J a mp s tre & a Tap zz, e v i ns es e s t s n I a l e 1 rshe Csummerldfor e D a ngcust 20ars-ol3d & uopbawtiicths c n D ag through tto 3 years o Au rs 11 ye p & Acr e l t t o e i L runnin onths danc Hip H

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Come Dance With Us Call (250) 384-3267, email: stagesdance@shaw.ca or visit us at www.stagesdance.com 34 Island Parent Magazine

IslandParent.ca

TEENS

Greater Victoria Performing Arts Festival Various locations Join us until May 12 for the Greater Victoria Performing Arts Festival. For six weeks students of music, dance and dramatic arts are on stages throughout the city receiving adjudications from experts in the arts. gvpaf.org. 250-386-9223. office@gvpaf.org.

Nanaimo & Area

Youth Week May 1-7 Various Locations in Parksville/Qualicum A national celebration of youth. A week of interaction and celebration intended to build a strong connection between young people and their communities. The James Bay Community Market To find out more and get involved, visit rdn.bc.ca/ 9am at James Bay at the corner of Menzies and recreation or contact Kelly Valade at 250-248-3252. Superior Every Saturday May 5 to September 29, 9am to 3pm All Locally made, quality crafter and food products, Twoonie Teen Swim farm stalls, food carts, live music. Ample parking.

7-9pm at Ravensong Aquatic Centre Fridays are reserved for the teens. $2 until June jamesbaymarket.com. 250-381-5323. Free. jamesbaymarket.com. info@jamesbaymarket.com.

29th. rdn.bc.ca/recreation. 250-752-5014.

FAMILY Victoria & CRD Family Dinner 4pm at James Bay Community Project 547 Michigan St. Family Dinner program every Tuesday 4-6pm. Free. jbcp.bc.ca. jserediuk@jbcp.bc.ca. 250-415-0814.

port Services Society of BC, they believe that every parent is the expert of her/his own family. For more information about groups near you, call 250-3848042 or 1-877-345-9444 or visit parentsupportbc.ca.

Nanaimo & Area Drop-In Science Studio Thursdays and Saturdays 10am-noon at NS3 Science Studio.

Children can explore the many features of the Science Studio including KEVA blocks, marble wall, air field, wind tunnel, and a variety of discovery boxes. $4/child; adults free. Schedule subject to change, so please check nanaimoscience.org for most current schedule. 4355 Jingle Pot Rd. 778971-6893.

Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Support Circles A safe, supportive place to meet others in a similar situation and to share information and resources.

For information about groups near you, call 250384-8042. Province-wide toll free information and support line at 1-855-474-9777 or email grgline@ parentsupportbc.ca. parentsupportbc.ca.

Lions Free Swim Sundays noon-1:30pm at Beban Pool, Nanaimo.

Until June 24. 250-756-5200.

Golden Shoe Hunt In Oceanside Explore regional and community parks in the electoral area A to H to find the hidden shoe. Clues and instructions for the locations of the shoes will Parent Support Circles Parenting isn’t always easy. Sometimes it helps to talk be posted weekly to rdn.bc.ca/recreation starting things through with other parents. At the Parent Sup- April 13.•

Summer Academic Camp

On the beautiful campus of Brentwood College School, Mill Bay • Inspiring and challenging academic classes • Exciting leisure programme to build your leadership skills • Global community with learners aged 12 to 18 from all over the world 21st July to 11th August 2018 (one, two or three weeks). Morning, day or overnight options Tel: 777 400 5472

IslandParent.ca

info@academiccampcanada.com

www.AcademicCampCanada.com

May 2018 35

Picnic Salad Season

M

ay is the start of the busy season around my house. Children’s sports take over our lives several nights a week, interrupting dinner hour for practices and games. The bright weather

might head to a meeting or a class after we eat, our dinner hour is kept as a time of rest and connection. When May brings the warmth of rain-free days, we lose our dinner hour to the grassy sidelines of a baseball

This time of year is also a perfect opportunity to get everyone into the kitchen to help prepare a quick, healthy and delicious meal. Children can help you with chopping vegetables, measuring ingredients, and mixing dressings, for example, so that cooking will go so much faster.

Here are three recipes that only take 30 minutes to make, and are perfect for a picnic dinner in the park.

Three Bean Salad This is a filling salad that becomes a delicious meal when served with a slice of bread or a handful of corn chips.

2 apples 2 cans of chickpeas 2 cans of red kidney beans 1 lbs green beans 3 stalks of celery 1 sweet red pepper 3⁄4 cup olive oil 1⁄2 cup apple cider vinegar 1 tsp salt 1 tsp mustard powder 2 tsp oregano 1⁄8 tsp black pepper 1. Peel and dice the apples into bite-sized pieces.

2. Rinse the canned beans well (so they don’t have any brine on them).

3. Dice the vegetables into bite-sized invites us to head to the beach on sunny practice or a spontaneous visit to a park.

However, a busy dinner hour doesn’t pieces. afternoons. And it is the start of a whole 4. Mix all of the ingredients in a large summer of special events, with Victoria Day mean you need to revert to takeout pizza. long weekend, children’s concerts, school It just means that meals need to be adapted bowl; adjust salt and pepper if necessary. from feed-everyone-at-once hot meals to This salad can be eaten right away, trips and family visits.

In contrast, winter evenings are simple. salads, sandwiches and other portable however, it is best if made in advance so A pattern of cooking that starts when we meals—meals that can feed people when the flavours can mix. gather after work and school. While we they have time to eat.

36 Island Parent Magazine

IslandParent.ca

Hearty Potato Salad My children love potato salad. And it is a great way to make sure they’re eating lots of fresh veggies with their meal. This potato salad is made without mayonnaise, making it perfect for picnics. Feel free to add in a few dollops of mayo if you like a really creamy potato salad.

Emillie Parrish Cooking With Kids 2 lbs of potatoes (small new potatoes are best) 6 eggs 3 spring onions 3 celery stalks 2 carrots 1⁄2 cup of green peas 1⁄2 cup olive oil 3 Tbsp cider vinegar 2 tsp Dijon mustard 1 tsp salt (to taste)

IslandParent.ca

1. Put eggs and potatoes in a pot of water.

Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.

Remove the eggs with tongs and place in a bowl of cold water to cool down. Continue boiling the potatoes until tender. Drain water and set aside to cool.

2. Make a dressing out of the olive oil, vinegar, mustard and salt.

3. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, slice and mix with the dressing.

Allow to marinate while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

4. Dice the spring onions, celery and carrots. You don’t want large chunks, just tiny little pieces.

5. Peel and dice the eggs.

6. Mix the eggs and vegetables with the potatoes. Adjust the salt and pepper as needed.

7. Again, this recipe tastes best if allowed to sit for at least 30 minutes before serving.

1 package of pasta 1⁄2 cup olive oil 3 Tbsp cider vinegar 1 tsp Dijon mustard 1 tsp oregano 1 tsp basil 1 tsp salt (or to taste) 3 cups of cherry tomatoes 1 large red bell pepper 1 can of black olives 3 pepperoni sticks 1⁄2 cup of mozzarella cheese 1. Boil the pasta until cooked. Drain and allow to cool.

2. Mix olive oil, vinegar, mustard and herbs into an Italian-style dressing.

3. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half.

4. Dice the pepper, olives, pepperoni and cheese into bite-sized pieces.

5. Mix the salad dressing, pasta and toppings together and adjust the salt as needed.

Quick Pasta Salad We actually call this Pizza Pasta, as the pepperoni and cheese make for a very pizza-like dinner.

Emillie Parrish loves having adventures with her two busy children. She lives in Victoria and is the author of the fermentation-based blog fermentingforfoodies.com.

May 2018 37

Beginner Synchronized Swimming Summer Aug 20-24 ages 8-12 9am-4pm $225 water & land activities

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208 – 721 Vanalman Ave, Victoria, BC V8Z 3B6 250-479-6424 www.falcongymnastics.com info@falcongymnastics.com 38

Island Parent Magazine

only human

I

t’s barely morning when my youngest, three-year-old Audrey, slips into bed with my husband and me. She falls asleep for a little while but then around 6:30 a.m. bolts upright and says “I’m hungry.”

The way she automatically announces her hunger—still half-asleep—makes me wonder, more so joke, is our daughter some sort of robot? Has she been programmed to highly annoy us 16 hours of the day? Are these phrases programmed and timed to be announced just to get on our nerves?

Before you conclude I’m a mean parent for thinking about my daughter this way, you must know I’m being facetious. And I’m pretty good at telling extremely corny jokes, too.

Don’t get me wrong; my daughter can be very sweet. But don’t be fooled by her angelic appearance, her rosy red cheeks and lips and strawberry blonde hair—you might be surprised to know she throws a wicked tantrum.

And that can be tough.

How is it possible for moms and dads to parent peacefully all the time? Is it humanly possible?

A friend and I had a great vent session recently about trying to remain as calm as we can, even when, say, one of our daughters decides in her tantrum to start kicking the brand-new dishwasher.

“Human beings weren’t designed to handle the amount of stress our modern life loads on us,” writes Dr. Laura Markham in Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids, How to Stop Yelling and Start Connecting, “which makes it difficult to hear our natural parenting instincts” Thank you Dr. Markham. Can I give you a hug?

“It’s almost as if we’re forced to parent in our spare time, after meeting the demands of work, commuting and household responsibilities,” she continues. “Even worse, our culture erodes our relationship with our children and woos them away from us at too early an age.”

Peaceful Parenting is among a long list of books I’ve picked up recently from the library on this topic. I think if I reserve one more, the librarian might slip a family counsellor’s business card in the book.

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! !

Markham talks about how one of the ! greatest challenges for parents is not controlling our children’s behaviour, it’s managing! ours. !

That makes a lot of sense to me.

Especially after also reading Dr. Deborah!

McNamara’s Rest, Play, Grow, Making !

Ashley Degraaf Is There an App for This?

IslandParent.ca

In Cowichan Bay

!

Summer Kids! !

Sense of Preschoolers (or anyone who acts like one). This book really opened my eyes to the fact that Audrey, for example, hasn’t yet learned the skills to control her emotions, let alone know what emotions really are. I need to teach her these things.

Acknowledging this reality, becoming more aware of what’s at play, and reminding myself about these things definitely helps me sympathize. But—and this is a big but—at the end of a long, challenging day, how are parents supposed to sympathize when faced with yet another tantrum, one in the middle of the night?

Let me tell you, middle of the night tantrums have to be the worst.

Lock yourself in the bathroom? Find a space in your house where you can take a few breaths by yourself? Practice yoga or meditation more often? Or maybe it’s bigger-picture things, like not taking on so much stress outside of parenting—maybe not volunteering as a PAC member at your kid’s school, or cutting back your work hours, if possible.

I wonder for the stay-at-home-moms, does not having work stress help? For moms who don’t have to work outside the house, or choose not to, whatever their situation, they also don’t have an escape or place to “get away from it all” either.

No matter the situation, I think a reasonable conclusion and something my friend and I discussed that day was if we can try and parent peacefully as much as possible, then, groovy. But we shouldn’t worry or feel bad about having a breakdown or two and yelling or scolding every so often. We’re human.

Now if I could only get my hands on the latest version of the Super Mom Cyborg.

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.

Summer Kids Camps 2018

Day Programs & Overnight Camps

Register Online Now at coastalbliss.ca 1-800-896-9525

coastalbliss@shaw.ca

Summer Programs Music Therapy 9–13 July *Students must register through the Victoria Conservatory of Music Music Theatre 16–21 July | 13–18 August Headstart Suzuki 20–24 August Kindermusik Silly All Over: 23–27 July | Beach Days: 30 July – 3 August Tune Up Your Voice 27–31 August Registration for all programs (*except Music Therapy) starts 1 May at NCM. Please check our website for updates and more details:

ncmusic.ca 250.754.4611 May 2018 39

Help Your Children Build Their Best Day

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 250-544-2400 Saanich 250-519-5100 Saltspring Island 250-538-4880 Sooke 250-642-5464 Victoria 250-388-2200 West Shore 250-519-3490

Central Island Health Units Duncan Ladysmith Lake Cowichan Nanaimo Nanaimo Princess Royal Parksville/ Qualicum

250-709-3050 250-755-3342 250-749-6878 250-755-3342 250-755-3342

Port Alberni Tofino

250-731-1315 250-725-4020

250-947-8242

North Island Health Units Campbell River 250-850-2110 Courtenay 250-331-8520 Kyuquot Health Ctr 250-332-5289 ‘Namgis Health Ctr 250-974-5522 Port Hardy 250-902-6071

viha.ca/prevention_services/ 40 Island Parent Magazine

W

hen my children were quite young, I was in tune with every moment of their day, including when and how much they slept and what kind of activities they did each day. Now that my children are school-age, they spend more time away from home and so it is not as easy to keep track of how active they are and how many hours of sleep they get each night.

Did you know that too little sleep can cause hyperactivity, impulsiveness, and a short attention span?

According to the Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Children and Youth, looking at sleep time, sedentary time and activity time is important. The health benefits can be seen immediately in terms of greater focus, better concentration, a more fit and stronger body and long-term reduced risk of disease. Taken together, this means that children will be healthier and better able to enjoy their lives more fully.

Kids who are tired from running around sleep better, and those who have slept well have more energy to run around.

Check the Guidelines to see whether your children are meeting the Sweat, Step, Sleep and Sit goals.There are 4 S’s to learn for a healthy 24 hours, for kids age 5-17 years:

Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Children & Youth

An integration of Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavious and Sleep. A healthy 24 hours includes: Sweat: Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity 60 minutes/day of moderate to vigorous activity gets the heart pumping and breathing rate up Step: Light Physical Activity Several hours of light physical activity such as walking or playing outdoors Sleep: Children aged 5-13 years need 9-11 hours of uninterrupted sleep and youth aged 14-17 years need 8-10 hours.

Sit: Sedentary Behaviour No more than 2 hours per day of screen time, and limited sitting for long periods.

Not sure if your child is meeting the Guidelines? Try keeping track for a few days—or even better, make it a family activity! Look for areas that you want to work on with your child.

There are new tools to assist from ParticipACTION. The 24-Hour Movement Guidelines have been around for a couple of years, and now there are new, free online tools and resources to help parents and caregivers BUILDYOURBESTDAY.COM engage children to be as healthy as possible (BuildYourBestDay.com).

This gives CANADIAN 24-HOUR MOVEME children the opportunity to explore different GUIDELINES FOR CHILDREN AND activities and learn how much Sweating, An Integration of Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour, and Stepping, Sleeping and Sitting they need A HEALTHY each day to be healthy.

SWEA

MODERATE T PHYSICAL AC

An accumula per day of mo activity involv activities. Vig and muscle a activities sho at least 3 day

STEP

LIGHT PHYS

Several hours and unstructu

SLEE SLEEP

Uninterrupte per night for and 8 to 10 ho aged 14 to 17 bedtimes and

SIT

SEDENTARY

more than Here are some of the fun questions and No recreational s statements from BuildYourBestDay to share sitting for exte with your children.

Preserving sufficient sleep, trading indoor time for outdoor time, and replacing sedentar physical activity with additional moderate to for vigorous physical activity can provide grea • If you could do anything a day, would you race a cheetah or FaceTime Grandma?

VISIT BUILDYOURBESTDAY.COM AND CREATE THE BEST DA • Would you go to bed earlier if you could sleep on a cloud of cotton candy?

• Could you benefit from less screen time and more time running from zombies?

• Would you rather hit a golf ball or a piñata?

Considered getting outdoors more often?

“Did you know that walking, biking and playing outdoors increase exposure to sunlight, which helps to regulate sleep patterns?”

One way to get outdoors and be more active together is through active travel to school. It’s a great way for family and friends to connect meaningfully during travel time, and also to form new habits of becoming

IslandParent.ca

active and spending more time outdoors.

The spring season is a great time to think about walking or wheeling to school—or even part way to school. Park away from all the traffic at the school, and walk the last block or three with your child.

Janelle Hatch CH I LD YO UT H & FA MILY P U B L IC H E A LT H

Happy Families, Healthy Families

Young children want to do what their parents are doing! Think about the influence your own behaviours may be having, and try to model a healthy balance. Habits are often set in early childhood, so modeling and encouraging healthy behaviours early will go a long way to healthy behaviours for older children and youth.

Making changes when you already feel busy may be a challenge. It may be just a matter of being mindful and bringing attention and focus in your activities each day.

Celebrate what you and your family are doing to stay healthy each day. Be intentional and use the BuildYourBestDay resources to make one change at a time, such as try some new activities or just go outdoors as often as you can.

Emmanuel Preschool 2121 Cedar Hill Cross Road (by entrance to UVic) Children learn through play in our all inclusive, non-denominational Christian preschool.

Great facility; outdoor play area and a gym for rainy day play! Two teachers with ECE certifi cation plus an assistant teacher to help with special needs children. A competent and caring teaching team!

Class Opportunities for 2018–2019: Mon/Wed/Fri morning class Tues/Thurs morning class 5 mornings a week

Phone 250-598-0573 preschool@emmanuelvictoria.ca

www.emmanuelpreschool.ca

ST. JOSEPH’S ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

FOR 2018

St. Joseph’s TRADITIONAL VALUES Elementary School - CHEMAINUS

AFFORDABLE

250-246-3191 www.stjosephselem.ca

There is a toolkit for parents at the BuildYourBestDay.com website with fun activities for children. Check out the ParticipACTION (participaction.com) website for programs for adults and children. We could benefit from moving more and sitting less—AND it can be a lot of fun to do it together!

Janelle Hatch is a Registered Dietitian and works as Healthy Schools Coordinator with Island Health.

IslandParent.ca

May 2018

41

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’s Tumour Elayna, 5, Wilm

IN YOUR COMMUNITY From Victoria’s inner harbour, to the coastal forests of Port Hardy and everywhere in between, Make-A-Wish is present across the island. Each year, we hold unique events on Vancouver Island to raise funds for the granting of future wishes: wine tastings, ReWined & UnWined and our thrilling urban rappelling challenge, Rope For Hope, are among our signature events.

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“ hank you all for planning every little detail,” said Elayna’s dad, Andreas. “It was wonderful to spend time together as a family, and to see Elayna filled with joy, excitement and with sparks in her eyes. The sun gave Elayna a real boost. Since her

LEND A HAND We invite you to be part of the wish granting story. Follow and engage with us on social media and keep an eye on our events listings for opportunities to support the granting of future wishes: @makeawishbcyk

THE STORY ISN’T OVER Today, Elayna is a happy, vibrant seven-year-old who has become a Make-A-Wish ambassador on Vancouver Island! Recently, she presented flowers to Her Excellency the Right Honourable Julie Payette, Governor General of Canada during the Governor General’s first official visit to British Columbia! You can be part of a transformation that puts smiles back on the faces of kids like Elayna.

To learn more about our upcoming events or to make a donation visit: www.makeawishbc.ca

return, Elayna keeps smiling and telling everyone about her magical trip.”

Elayna was five years old when her wish to go on a Disney cruise in the Bahamas was granted. Did you know that Make-A-Wish B.C. and Yukon 42 Island Parent Magazine

Elayna and her family today. From L-R: Elayna’s mom, Janin, her sister Jazlyn, Elayna, and Elayna’s father, Andreas

IslandParent.ca

Together w e a re Family

The Cridge Centre for the Family is about people: children, adults, seniors, survivors of brain injury, women leaving abuse, refugees and immigrants, families with children with special needs and young parents.

The Cridge Centre for the Family is about connection, about building community and partnerships, and about belonging and being valued.

The Cridge Centre for the Family is about being at home and feeling safe, about achieving goals and reaching potential.

The Cridge Centre for the Family is about all of us, working together to care for the vulnerable.

Won’t you join our family?

www.cridge.org or 250 384 8058 1307 Hillside Ave, Victoria BC V8T 0A2 IslandParent.ca

May 2018

43

Books & the lessons they teach us

E

very book contains a lesson.

Some of those lessons, like the ones in Emma AdBåge’s Outdoor Math, are obvious, while others such as Uma Krishnaswami’s Book Uncle and Me require readers to dig to uncover the message.

Get into the action with Jon Agee’s Lion Lessons (Dial Books, 2016). In this hilariously adorable tale, a young boy learns how to be a lion from a real lion. Readers can join the fun and earn their lion diploma too by following along with the narrator and lion through all of the stretches—including upwards lion and upside-down lion—and the seven steps, which include roaring, pouncing, and looking out for your friends.

For ages 4 to 8.

Just like they are in Lion Lessons, the lessons in this next book should be pretty obvious. Outdoor Math: Fun Activities for Every Season by Emma AdBåge (Kids Can Press, 2016) is full of different activities for children to do outside, such as collecting rocks and sticks, painting things, playing with worms, and drawing in the sand. Some of the activities might require adult assistance, but for the most part, your children should be able to figure out everything on their own.

While Outdoor Math is written for children to read and follow the instructions by themselves, I’m not sure kids will enjoy reading this book because it is mostly instructions. It might make more sense for an adult to read it and arm themselves with a bunch of activities to suggest to the kids whenever they flop down on the couch and lament “I’m bored.” For ages 5 to 8.

Not everything is fun and games when it comes to reading books and learning as Jasper discovers in Jasper John Dooley: Public Library Enemy #1 by Caroline Adderson and illustrated by Mike Shiell (Kids Can Press, 2016). All poor Jasper J. Dooley wants to do is practise reading so he can be really good at it when he reads to Molly the Dog at the library on Monday, Wednesday or Friday between 3:30 and 4:30. But it goes terribly wrong when he ends up “killing” the book he was using for practise. Now he has to save up, from what he can tell from the price printed on the book, two thousand five hundred dollars! If he doesn’t

pay back the library, they will never let him in to read to Molly again. Laugh along with your child as Jasper learns about counting money and owning up to his mistakes. For ages 7 to 10.

Yasmin loves to read. In Book Uncle and Me by Uma Krishnaswami and illustrated

by Julianna Swaney (Groundwood Books, 2016), Yasmin gets one book every day from Book Uncle who runs the corner lending library. One day he tells her that he has been shut down because he doesn’t have a permit. To save her beloved lending library and friend, she rallies all of her friends and community members to try and save him by convincing everyone to vote for the candidate who has promised to save him: Karate Samuel. Follow along with Yasmin as she learns about leadership, friendship, and civic duty. For ages 7 to 10.

The next book is My Brigadista Year by Katherine Paterson (Candlewick, 2017). In this coming-of-age story, 13-year-old Lora leaves her home and family to become a volunteer teacher, or brigadista, in the Cuban mountains to help Fidel Castro’s goal of making Cuba a completely literate nation in one year. This historical story teaches readers about the Brigadista movement: their motto, their mission, the dangers surrounding them, and their everyday lives as teachers in remote communities. Paterson did tons of research to make sure her fiction was as true-to-life as possible, and it paid off. Sometimes Lora’s narrative seems so real that you forget she is not a real person.

At the back of the book Paterson talks about some of her research. One of the things that impressed Paterson and inspired her to write this tale was learning about all of the young women who left home to become brigadistas. Most of these young women, who were between the ages of 10 and 19, would not have any experience living away from their families before they signed up. But, after what many of them refer to as a defining moment in their lives, these women went on to become doctors, teachers and engineers because they wanted to continue to help their fellow Cubans. For ages 10 to 14.

Sometimes your child might be the one with a long and winding story to tell. And, IslandParent.ca

sometimes his story might be so long that he gets lost while telling it. A Squiggly Story by Andrew Larsen and illustrated by Mike Lowery (Kids Can Press, 2016) has a solution for that problem even if your child doesn’t know how to spell yet.

In this story a little boy is super impressed

Christina Van Starkenburg Book Nook by his sister’s ability to read and write stories with “big words and little words. Page after page. Word after word,” and he tells her so.

She tells him that he can write his own stories too. He just needs to write what he knows.

So he grabs some paper and crayons and his squiggly story begins. After you’ve read this one with your child, perhaps it would be fun to grab some crayons and paper so you too can write your own squiggly stories.

For ages 4 to 7.

LEARN TO SAIL THIS SUMMER! WE'VE GOT CLASSES FOR ALL AGES AND ABILITIES We're happy to offer adventurous, inclusive and quality programs for the community.

We welcome landlubbers, Olympic dreamers and everyone in between!

Our classes start at 4 years old all the way through to adults

ROYAL VICTORIA YACHT CLUB 250 592 6113 sailing@rvyc.bc.ca www.rvyc.bc.ca

COME HAVE SOME FUN

Getting lost in stories is a wonderful feeling, and knowing that as long as they’re willing to try, your child will always learn something from what they read, is a pretty good feeling too. So whether you want to learn about history, math, or becoming a lion, I hope you and your child find time to enjoy at least one of these books and the lessons they contain about leadership, courage, and creativity.

Christina Van Starkenburg is a freelance writer and mother of two young boys. You can read about their adventures at thebookandbaby. com.

IslandParent.ca

May 2018

45

Family Services Directory

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 proThis directory, sponsored by Thrifty Foods, features not for profit agencies and organizations serving children, youth and families. viding a comprehensive, client-centered adoption service which best meets the needs of everyone in the adoption constellation. Please contact us at 1Up, Victoria Single Parent Resource Centre people find work since 1982! Our programs build on choices@choicesadoption.ca, or call 250-479-9811 (1-up.ca) provides support, education and resources a person’s strengths and resolve barriers to finding for further information. for parents in the Greater Victoria area through and keeping employment. We also work with our free counselling, volunteer training, a mentoring employer network to support job seekers. Need program for single moms, and a support group for help finding a job? Need employees? Contact us Dialogue and Resolution Services (DRS) is the dads, as well as a variety of integrated life skills for FREE assistance! 9860 Third St. Sidney. 250- South Island’s only non-profit specializing in alternative conflict resolution for both civil and family and parenting courses which are open to the whole 656-0134. beaconcs.ca. matters. Offering quality, professional mediation, community, with fees on a sliding scale. For single coaching and parent coordination in a supportive parent members, the Centre provides free toys and books, a clothing room and bread pantry. Donations Boys & Girls Club Services offer after-school environment for families, co-parents, co-workers of gently-used clothing, small household items, and and evening social, educational and recreational and neighbours, DRS works with clients to help toys are welcome. Hours: Mon., Tue., Thu., Fri.: 9–4, programming for children and youth at 5 locations them create lasting, effective solutions. DRS also & Wednesdays: 12–7. Location: 602 Gorge Road (Colwood, Langford, VicWest, Central Saanich and offers its flagship “Communicating through Conflict” Esquimalt) and summer camps both in Esquimalt workshop series quarterly both days and evenings East. Phone: 250-385-1114. and at our Outdoor Centre in Metchosin. We also of- throughout the year. Find us at 250-383-4412 or fer support to parents through our Parents Together dialogueandresolutionservices.ca.

Beacon Community Services is a community- program and parent workshops. For more informabased, non-profit agency dedicated to helping tion on all programs and services visit bgcvic.org or people and improving lives on southern Vancouver call 250-384-9133.

Island and the southern Gulf Islands. Beacon thrift shops fund important LOCAL community services and programs. Beacon also offers: child, youth and family services (including the Peninsula Early Years Family Services Centre and child care); counselling; employment of Greater Victoria services and training for people of all ages; home Family Services of Greater Victoria (formerly BC support care; volunteer services and opportunities; affordable housing/care/supports for seniors and Canucks Autism Network (CAN) provides year- Families in Transition) is a non profit agency that has people with disabilities. For Home Support, please round sports and recreation programs for children, been serving families since 1978. We provide a full call 250-658-6407. For other programs: 250-656- youth, young adults and families living with autism. range of services to the whole family in supportPrograms in Victoria, Nanaimo and Cowichan Valley ing their relationship and through separation and 0134. beaconcs.ca. include Intro to Physical Activity, Intro to Soccer & divorce. Counseling, mediation, legal information Basketball, Swim, Skate, Social Events (fall, winter and a range of group programs are available for Beacon Community Services Employment and spring), Overnight Camp (summer), and Family children, youth and adults on a sliding fee scale. Call Programs. Beacon Community Services offers a Events (year-round). For more information, visit us at 250-386-4331 or visit fsgv.org. We can help. full menu of employment services on the Saanich canucksautism.ca.

Peninsula and Gulf Islands. We’ve been helping

46 Island Parent Magazine

IslandParent.ca

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 happybabysleepsolutions.com or call 250-857-1408 for a FREE evaluation. Let’s get started!

Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria (ICA) is a registered charity and nonprofit helping individuals and organizations to connect across cultures. Programs offered include immigrant and refugee services, parenting programs, employment services, interpretation and translation, diversity workshops and training, English language training, volunteer placements, youth programs and tutoring, seniors groups, and inter-cultural arts programming.

Located at 930 Balmoral Road, 250-388-4728 info@ icavictoria.org, icavictoria.org.

Licenced group childcare for children ages 1 to 12 years old Offering Before & After school care for Vic West Elementary School

babiestobigkids.com 250-590-2722 info@babiestobigkids.com

Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Centre Society (VIRCS) supports immigrants and refugees living in Greater Victoria. Services are free and include oneon-one 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.

IslandParent.ca

949 Fullerton Ave

The Island’s Hidden Jewel

LDABC The Learning Curve (previously The Learning Disabilities Assn.) supports, educates and advocates for children with learning disabilities and related challenges. Individual and group support, education and consultation is available for children, youth, parents, caregivers and professionals. Please visit our website @ ldasvi.bc.ca or call us for more information or to book an appointment: 250-370-9513.

Sooke-West Shore 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-West Shore Early Years Centres are hosted

by Sooke Family Resource Society and located at the Child, Youth, and Family Centres in both Sooke and the West Shore and can be reached at 250217-9243. Additional information can be accessed at sfrs.ca/early-years-centre.

Open 6:30am–5:30pm

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250-248-7829

Open Year Round

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Join Us for FUN and ADVENTURE at Burnside Gorge

Exciting weekly themes and out­-trips!

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Adventure Day Camp Ages 10­–15

Burnside Fun n’ Sun

Licensed Day Camp Ages 5­–11

Space is limited – register now! 250­- 388-5251 For more information visit www.burnsidegorge.ca

May 2018 47

Preschool & Child Care Directory Colwood/LANGFORD

Gonzales Co-op Preschool....................... 250-727-1003 Children use imaginations in a Learning through Play classroom and natural playground. Reggio-Emilia inspired, focus is on art, nature and music. Nurturing, highly qualified ECE and ECE assistant. Parent participation options. Allergy aware. gonzalescooppreschool.com.

Highlands

Licenced group childcare for children ages 12 months to 5 years old. Open 6:30am-5:30pm.

Leap Forward Dance School offers weekday and Saturday dance classes for children ages 2 and up.

2758 Peatt Road, Langford

250-818-9225 info@leapforwardlangford.com

www.leapforwardlangford.com

Coastline Montessori Childcare............... 250-881-6318 Experience an educational hands on learning environment for infants, toddlers and preschool age. Half-day program offered. Located in Langford off Latoria Rd. coastlinemontessori@shaw.ca.

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

Cordova Bay Preschool........................... 250-658-3441 A bright and cheerful parent participation preschool with a philosophy of learning through play. 4 yr olds - M/W/F 9:151:15; 3 yr olds - T/Th 9:15-12:15. cordovabaypreschool.org.

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). Enriched Curriculum.

Includes Music Classes and Character Development using the Virtues Project. Part -time spaces available. Islandkids.ca.

La Pré-Maternelle Appletree Preschool......250-479-0292 A French Immersion Preschool Program.

30 months to school age. Licensed Christian centre. prematernelleappletree.com.

Recreation Oak Bay.................................250-370-7200 Fully licensed, ECE Daycare, Preschool and Nature Preschool.

Play based, child led learning. Afterschool care available.

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

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

Our purpose built facilities have been handmade using the trees from our forest.

We have recently expanded to our new Spirit bear Lodge located right next door!

Programs for Infants/Toddlers and PreKindergarten children.

SAANICH

Award of Excellence in Child Care

lexieslittlebears.ca 250-590-3603

METCHOSIN Metchosin Cooperative Preschool.................................

Play Explore Learn and Grow in beautiful rural Metchosin.

Morning programs available for 3 and 4 year olds. Contact our ECEs at metchosinpreschool@gmail.com.

West-Mont Montessori School.................250-474-2626 Exceptional preschool Montessori instruction in a beautiful natural environment. Ages 30 months and up. Providing a balanced approach to incorporating French, Music, Art and Nature. Stop by and experience what it is like to be 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. Now offering Infant and Toddler Care.

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

Child Care

Resource & Referral vancouverislandccrr.ca ccrr.bc.ca 48 Island Parent Magazine

• Half day and Full day Preschool Programs • Children’s learning is nurtured and supported through exploration, discovery, play and creative expression 3905 Haro Road, Victoria BC

250-477-3731 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.

• Licensed 2.5 hr and 4 hr programs, flexible part-time classes • Qualified ECEs offer play-based programs that stimulate curiosity and imagination and support optimum growth and development. Supported spaces available.

• Indoor and outdoor programming, community visitors and special activities provide opportunities for learning through play and exploration.

Fullobeans.ca 250-360-1148 saanichneighbourhoodplace.com

Island Montessori House.....................250-592-4411 Inclusive, integrated and nurturing Preschool and After School Care programs. Lovely rural setting with a focus on nature and outdoor environmental activities. islandmontessori.com.

Lambrick Park Preschool & Childcare........ 250-477-8131 Gordon Head’s parent-participation preschool and childcare center. Flexible hours M-F 9am-3pm & drop-ins offered. Play based learning and outdoor play. Allergy friendly. Celebrating 40 years. lambrickparkpreschool.ca.

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 West Shore: 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

IslandParent.ca

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

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

St. Joseph’s Early Learning Centre.............. 250-479-1237 A Christian childcare centre offering daycare and preschool programs for 3-5 year olds. Children learn through playbased and emergent curriculum in a warm and nurturing environment.

Wiseways Preschool & Daycare........... 250-477-1312 Established, quality, licensed, Christian centre for 3-5 year olds. Experienced ECEs, cheerful spacious facilities, large playground. Subsidized fees welcome. Call for a tour. Wisewaysvictoria.com.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 Our positive and supportive program motivates children to learn, discover and grow through play. Contact us for a tour of our little blue school!

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.

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.

VIEW ROYAL

VICTORIA

v Comprehensive programs for Preschool through Grade 8 v Delivering academic excellence through music, dance, drama and visual arts v Outstanding educators, locations and facilities

www.ArtsCalibre.ca 250.382.3533 Licenced group childcare for children ages 1 to 12 years old Offering Before & After school care for Vic West Elementary School

Island Kids Academy View Royal.............250-727-2929 High quality child care (ages 1-5). Enriched Curriculum.

Includes Music Classes and Character Development using the Virtues Project. Part -time spaces available. Islandkids.ca.

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.

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.

DUNCAN

Open 6:30am–5:30pm

babiestobigkids.com 250-590-2722 info@babiestobigkids.com

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

Nanaimo

ASPENGROVE SCHOOL

Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12 Learn more today!

250-390-2201 AspengroveSchool.ca

N A N A I M O ’ S J K -12 I N T E R N AT I O N A L B ACC A L AU R E AT E W O R L D S C H O O L

Qualicum Beach Children’s Discovery Centre.....................250-752-4343 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

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.

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

IslandParent.ca

Sunrise Waldorf School Preschool..............250-743-7253 In a warm environment, this nature and play-based program enlivens and nurtures the growing child. sunrisewaldorfschool.org.

Port Alberni

949 Fullerton Ave

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

Queen of Angels Early Learning Centre...... 250-701-0433 Our Centre is a lively, happy place for 3-5 year olds where children are encouraged to be confident, independent learners in a nurturing and safe environment.

International Montessori Academy of Canada................................................. 250-737-1119 Offers an enriching environment for preschool children 2-4.9 years with potty training. Nurturing young minds, keeping the spirit free. intmontessori.ca.

May 2018 49

Charlie Brown

W Summer Science Camps! at the

Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre

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Registration now open! www.cowichanestuary.ca/camps camps@cowichanestuary.ca 250.597.2288

e got Angus a puppy.

Charlie Brown, a Brittany, was intended as a surrogate sibling for our only child, who won’t ever have a real one. Also a quasi therapy dog.

Perhaps a clichéd “boy’s best friend.” But gifting a dog isn’t the same as gifting other things: a Guinness World Record book, for example, or the board game Operation (the two remaining items on Angus’s wish list). Charlie can’t be shelved in the closet in Angus’s room and only pulled out when he’s home from school. Mike and I, more bleary-eyed than we have been in years, have had occasion to ask ourselves over the past month if Charlie really is Angus’s.

Did we gift our kid a dog, or did we gift ourselves a toddler?

A toddler, maybe, but Charlie is not our child, though all veterinarians and pet store employees refer to Mike and I as mom and dad. We’ve made it clear to Angus from the beginning that he’s our only son—and still our priority. This was particularly important on Day Two of pet ownership, when the novelty quickly wore off and the rivalry began.

Angus, as an only child, as an only grandchild, as the only kid in our townhouse complex, gets a lot of attention. It will be good for him, my mom said, having to share attention with something else. Probably she’s right, but that’s not to say Angus is entirely happy with the arrangement. That we should prioritize wiping up pee puddles over listening to him read is an injustice Angus wasn’t prepared for. Same for visiting playmates who are more infatuated with the dog than with his LEGO set. This will all take some getting used to.

Charlie is cute—just ask his throngs of fans in Fernwood, or at Angus’s school, or even at Camosun where Mike has taken him for a meet and greet with his students.

He’s also about the quietest dog I’ve met. I can count the occasions he’s barked on the fingers of one hand. After a painful couple

www.bellies.ca Royal Oak Shopping Centre, Victoria 250.479.0803 50 Island Parent Magazine

IslandParent.ca

of weeks and the much-too-late realization that we needed a blanket covering the couch, he is now officially house trained and mostly sleeps through the night. He’s adorable, twitching and yipping while he dreams.

Toddlers are cute too, aren’t they? I vaguely remember that stage. It was long and resulted in a lot of destruction and the ingestion of a number of inedible things.

Recklessness and accidental injuries in-

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Maternity & Beyond Phone: 250-590-4460 flicted by mini fingernails and new teeth. Grooming: 250-590-5803 Whining. A need for constant attention. #106–751 Goldstream Avenue This is an apt description of our dog, who islandpetsource.com has already made a trip to the emergency vet for some induced vomiting to bring up a cellphone charger before it lodged itself somewhere in his digestive tract.

Angus enjoys racing Charlie when we go for walks and roughhousing with him until the glee shifts to wildness and Mike or I have to yank him away. Both boy and puppy have received accidental kicks from exuberant limbs, though only Angus has the face scratches to prove this. He also has teeth holes in a few pairs of socks. The puppy class instructor told Angus to yip like an injured pup when Charlie uses him as a teething toy—yip while he’s being bitten.

But by the time Angus remembers to do this, Charlie has often moved on to chewing on something other than Angus’s arm. Biting back—or at least pretending to—is a less effective strategy, though it has been tested more than once.

You just have to get through the puppy stage, friends tell us. Dogs are a boy’s best Academic Camp Canada.. 35 Falcon Gym........................38 friend, not puppies. Luckily, puppies grow Arbutus Grove.................. IFC Foster Parent Support up a lot quicker than children do, and if Atomiqe Productions........ 32 Services........................ 23 Babies to Big Kids..............47 Glenlyon Norfolk School.... 31 there really are seven dog years to each Ballet Victoria............... 19, 27 Horne Lake Caves.............47 human one, in December Angus will have Bear Mountain................... 15 Island Circus Space........... 21 Bellies in Bloom................ 50 Island Montessori................8 a furry companion of his own age to play Burnside Gorge..................47 Island Swimming.............. IFC with. And though toddlers and puppies are Camp Pringle..................... 15 Kool & Child........................ 19 pretty cute, seven-year-olds are amazing.

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IslandParent.ca

Coastal Bliss Adventures.. 39 Cowichan Craniosacral...... 14 Cowichan Estuary............. 50 CRD....................................54 Cridge.................................43 Dr. Joslin, Dr. Morin & Associates................. 23 The Education Towards Change Society............. 13 Emmanuel Preschool......... 41

MacDonald Realty.............. 10 Make-A-Wish Foundation..42 Momease......................... IFC Mothering Touch..................7 Nanaimo Conservatory..... 39 Oak & Orca.............18, 36, 46 Pacific Coast Swimming... 50 Raincoast Education......... 32 The Raptors..........................6 Royal BC Museum.......... 8, 13

Royal Soccer Club............. 53 Royal Victoria Yacht Club...45 Saanich Dental.................. 22 Saanich Recreation..............3 School District #62............ 18 Scouts Canada................. IBC Serious Coffee...................27 Shawnigan Lake Designer Fair................. 31 Smart Tutor Referrals.........38 Spina Bifida....................... 20 St. Joseph’s...................... IFC St. Joseph’s Chemainus.... 41 St. Margaret’s................... IBC St. Michael’s University School............................ 16 Stages................................34 Sugar Sandwich................. 12 Swan Lake..........................24 The Goodie Bags Inc......... 10

Theatre One....................... 21 Thrifty Foods..................... 29 TJ’s The Kiddie Store........ 22 Tom Lee Music.................. 39 UVic Vikes........................... 11 Vancouver Island Psychological Services.. 37 Victoria Academy of Ballet..9 Victoria Bug Zoo................ 41 Victoria Children’s Choir......4 Victoria Gymnastics.......... 32 Victoria Synchro.................38 VIHA.................................. 40 Welcome Wagon................ 12 Welkin College School....... 31 Westcoast Academy of Ballet........................ 30 Westmont Montessori........45 Westshore Dental................5 Westshore Parks & Recreation.................... 28

May 2018 51

Backyard Birdwatching

Photo: Jeanette Mollin

52

Island Parent Magazine

O

ne of my favourite things about springtime is the sun shining and birds singing. Growing up on Southern Vancouver Island, my backyard was filled with birds, butterflies, squirrels and other animals. We share our environment with all sorts of beautiful plants and animals. Exposing children to nature and wildlife connects them to the world around them, develops critical thinking skills and increases their appreciation for the outdoors. Even in your backyard, children can experience this diverse world. There are simple and fun ways that you can create bird habitats, which will increase the number and diversity of birds in your backyard, deck or porch for the whole family to enjoy. The birds will also appreciate you creating a home for them by introducing elements found in their natural habitat in a residential or urbanized area.

IslandParent.ca

Native gardens are all the rage and for good reason. They require less upkeep and water because they are adapted to our environment. Birds love native plants because they forage on them in the wild. Plants like Red Flowering Currant produce beautiful white to rosecoloured flowers, which hummingbirds love. This native shrub also grows small round berries (currants) that many types of birds enjoy and are also edible for humans.

Indian Plum is a native shrub that is one of the first plants to flower in the spring. It

sheet or pot filled with fresh water and leave it out on the deck for birds to splash around in. They can also be fancy with flowing water that creates sounds that birds are drawn to. Bird baths can be purchased from hardware or garden stores. Put your birdbath in an open and accessible area and near a window so your family can watch them play in the water!

Bird Houses

Building a birdhouse may seem challenging, but it doesn’t have to be. Simple how to’s are available online and can be done with the whole family. The little creative ones can paint and add cute designs to it. Bird houses can also be purchased at local garden and hardware stores. Birds need safe places to lay their eggs and some birds may not Nature Notes be able to make or find a natural cavity due to habitat loss. Adding a bird home thrives in shaded areas and tolerates pol- to your backyard can help birds return to luted soils and sloped ground. Not only does their natural environment. this plant attract hummingbirds and other Implementing some or all of these can pollinators to its greenish-white flowers, it increase the total amount and variety of bird invites a variety of bird species to devour species into your backyard. From planting its small blue plums. native gardens to decorating bird houses, Saskatoon is a native shrub that displays there are lots of fun ways to get the whole big, white flowers to attract bumblebees and other pollinators. Birds enjoy snacking on their dark purple, small, apple-like fruits and perching on their smooth branches.

People also enjoy eating these antioxidantrich berries by using them in foods such as jams, pies and wines.

Rachael Tancock

Photo: Rick Leche

Native Plants

family involved. Grab your kids, binoculars and bird identification books to watch the different types of birds that arrive to eat, drink, bathe and live in your backyard.

Want to learn more about birds and immerse your family in nature? Check out CRD Regional Parks programs at crd.bc.ca/ parks-events. Your kids will gain wonderful family memories of enjoying nature and an appreciation for the great outdoors.

Rachael Tancock is a Park Naturalist at the Capital Regional District.

Bird Feeders

Bird feeders filled with natural bird feed, such as seed mixes, will bring in a variety of birds and even squirrels to your turf. Feeders can be made with items you may already have in your house, making for a fun and easy craft to do with your kids. For a simple craft, roll a pine-cone in nut butter, followed by seeds and hang in your trees. There are lots of free and easy homemade bird feeder crafts. Birdseed and feeders can be purchased at local garden and hardware stores.

Bird Baths

Birds love water as much as we do, and adding a birdbath or water feature to your backyard will attract them. Birds use water to drink, cool off in the summer and to bathe. Making a bird bath can also be simple. For example, you can use a cooking IslandParent.ca

May 2018

53

Fear of Independence

• Take a small step back without distorting your life. For younger kids you can say, “Today I will help and maybe tomorrow, when they were younger. This happens you will do this yourself again.” rowing up is scary business!

Many kids want to go back to a especially when the child is under stress, time when you parented them the often from a challenge like a new baby, dealing with social issues or navigating way you did just a little while ago.

Suddenly, they will want you to do things expectations from school.

Older kids might not want you to dress for them that they can do themselves. The them but they might seek more reassuryoung child wants you to dress him: “You Cut It Out! ance as they go through this time. do it for me, I can’t!” You might also notice You might hear self-criticism, babyish behaviour—talking baby talk, “I’m stupid!” Uncertainty is wanting to go back to diapers, crying • Articulate the feelings and needs, for a natural part of the learn- example, “It sounds like you are feeling a when you leave them at a place they ing process and it can feel little insecure right now, it is okay to ask have been comfortable with for a while, overwhelming. needing you at night. What is happening? for help.”

Too old to sit on your Often these behaviours will show up • Normalize the experience for older knee, they find interesting kids by saying, “We all have times when when kids are moving forward with ways to hang around you. It we feel uncertain, overwhelmed or insecure their independence. It can come as is a bit of a dilemma when and think we aren’t enough.” Get curious: a shock when your five-year-old they just declared that you “What would be helpful right now?” wants you to cuddle him like a aren’t the boss of them! Yet, baby or creeps into your bed at You might find that this approach gives we all have times when we the child enough reassurance to take new night when you are too tired seek more closeness from strides toward the next stage of growth. to move. our loved ones.

It can be hard for kids to face the new challenges of growing up, and sometimes they need What to do: LIFE Seminars has two books available, Sideto regress and feel that you • Always keep your child’s dig- stepping the Power Struggle and The Parent still love them as you did nity intact by accepting this stage. Child Connection. See lifeseminars.com.

G

Allison Rees

69, 8, 32, 0

What you put down the drain matters.

Make your spring clean greener with homemade products that are easy to make and easy on the environment.

LEMON FRESH ALL-PURPOSE CLEANER 4 TBSP. BAKING SODA 1 LITRE WARM WATER LEMON Combine baking soda and water; add lemon juice as needed to cut grease.

For more recipes:

www.crd.bc.ca/cleangreen

54 Island Parent Magazine

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