Creating Together Blog

Understanding Remembrance

November 8, 2019 by Melanie

What are the poppies about? How do we explain the significance of such an intense and important time of year? What is an age appropriate way to talk about Remembrance Day?

To get started on this deep and important topic, let’s first get on the same page with what November 11th is all about, and why we honour this day across Canada.

In 1931, after insistent representation from the Canadian Legion, parliament enacted the Armistice Day Act. The Act ensured that November 11th would be set aside as a day distinct and apart from any other observance upon which the nation could pay special tribute to those “who gave their lives that freedom might prevail”.

In 1970, an act, known as “The Holidays Act”, was passed by Parliament which included, among other holidays, Remembrance Day. An extract of that act reads as follows:

“Throughout Canada in each and every year, the 11th day of November, being the day in the year 1918 on which the Great War was triumphantly concluded by an armistice, is a holiday and shall be kept and observed as such under the name of Remembrance Day.”
The Holiday Act, 1970

Yet how do we explain this important time to our children? Here are some great suggestions:

1. Focus on Honouring People

You can do this a number of ways, be it discussing the contributions of women and minorities, the vast numbers of people who fought for our freedom, and the gratitude we all give.

“You can best honor them by using this day as a way to teach kids about both the honor and courage these people displayed in the course of performing their duties, as well as the valuable lessons they have taught us (namely, that the fighting of any war comes at too high a cost). In the end, Remembrance Day can provide an excellent way to instill your children with an understanding of the ramifications of war and give them a reason to work towards a more peaceful world.”
Sarah Danielson: parentscanada.com

To have some conversations with your children about the contributions of women and minorities, the Veterans Affairs Canada website offers great information on some of the often overlooked contributions of Aboriginal-Canadians, Women, Asian Canadians, and Black Canadians

2. Talk About Your Family History

Further to your conversation at home about the history of war in your own family, you may find it helpful to attend a local Remembrance Day ceremony. Giving the kids a first-hand chance to see veterans and be part of the celebration will encourage them to ask questions and learn more.

Here’s a list of local ceremonies being held in Toronto:

honour-canadas veterans-at-these-remembrance-day-services-in-toronto/

3. Understanding Why We Wear Poppies

Poppies are worn to pay tribute to those who gave their lives in war because poppies grew on the battlefields, especially on the Western Front, before and after World War One.

Wearing a poppy is important, but also explaining to your child the reasons why you are wearing it will help kids gain a deeper understanding and respect for the day.

The Poppy has been widely recognized as a symbol of Remembrance, since it was first adopted in 1921. By wearing the poppy, we demonstrate our gratitude to those who gave their lives for the freedom we enjoy.
Legion Ontario Command: on.legion.ca/remembrance/the-tradition

Each year, for two weeks before Remembrance Day, Legions throughout Ontario carry out our Poppy Campaign. The campaign raises awareness of the Poppy as a symbol of Remembrance. The poppy continues to be sold worldwide to raise money and to remember those who lost their lives in the First World War and in subsequent conflicts.

This can be a great conversation / lesson to children around the power of giving from a place of gratitude, and who in this case, is able to benefit from these gifts.

Many blessings to all of you, on this day of Remembrance.

November Highlights

November 5, 2019 by Melanie

The November Calendar is now out, and we have a lot of amazing things in store for the parents, caregivers, and children of Parkdale. Read below for some great highlights!

Fun With Nature

Join us on November 11th and November 22nd to enjoy the benefits of nature, at our local parks.

Researchers and natural environmentalists have been studying the effects of exposure to nature on children, and have found some interesting results: Engagement with nature has huge benefits for children physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially.

For instance, Adams & Savahl (2017) discovered it has a significant influence on children’s emotional and social well-being, while Pensini, Horn, & Caltabiano, (2016) discovered that early exposure to nature improves one’s mental health as an adult. Would you like to help improve your child’s short-term memory and ability to focus? Another study shows that being in nature for extended periods of time promotes the development of attention skills, while protecting against inattention-hyperactivity symptoms such as (Ulset, Vitaro, et al, 2017). There are also a number of physical benefits, such as improved vision, and reduced risk of obesity.

Keeping Active

Twice a month, we create healthier communities by bringing in the Busy Body Exercise Cards twice per month.

Did you know Adequate levels (60 minutes/day) of physical activity helps children:

develop cardiovascular fitness, strength, flexibility, and bone density
maintain a healthy body weight
reduce the risk of chronic disease and health problems
lessen the likelihood of tobacco, alcohol, and drug use
feel better every day, through improved mental health and well-being

Scarf Dancing is not only fun, but it’s incredibly good for children, and can be practiced at home as well. Here are some benefits:

Sparking imagination as we explore all kinds of ways to play with our scarves
Teaching directional tracking as we visually track our scarves’ movement
Improving eye-hand coordination as we play catch or peekaboo
Increasing vocabulary as we verbally describe what we are doing with our scarves
Sharpening listening skills as we move our scarves based on musical or verbal cues
Practicing inhibitory skills as we start and stop our movements with the scarves

Fun with Food

Join us at 9:30am on November 5th for some family baking, or the 28th at 9:30am to make oatmeal, raisin cookies. And don’t forget our monthly Toddler Food Preparation workshop with Marcella from FoodShare!

Supporting Literacy

Every Monday is Literacy Day at Creating Together. From 9:30am to 10:30am a staff member will read with a small group or one-on-one, and introduce songs and stories on CDs as well as a variety of stories.

Also, storytime takes place every day at 1pm. Parents and caregivers are encouraged to bring a special book from home that can be shared during this time.

Our Family Support Worker can share with you some strategies on how to read to small children. Every two months a professional literacy consultant provides educational workshops for families. In fact, this month we are very happy to have circle with the Parkdale Public Library Librarian on the 29th at 11am.

Did you know? Books with CDs and headphones are available for use with the children and a variety of children’s books can be borrowed for use at home through our Resource Lending Library.

Encouraging Inquiry

Children learn so much through science. So, each month we facilitate a fun learning science activity. This month’s science activities are the “underwater volcano” on November 8th and “the orange experiment” on November 25th. Curious? Come out and enjoy!

Early Childhood Fears

October 28, 2019 by Melanie

Creating Together Staff are always listening to parents and caregivers, to hear what their concerns are and what areas they’d appreciate support and resources. This month’s information sessions is a response to a number of caregivers seeking information regarding the most common early childhood fears: Strangers; and being aware from parents.

Strangers

When a baby nears 7 months, they will begin to show a fear of strangers, particularly those who get too friendly too fast. While grandparents and dear friends can easily feel hurt and disappointed, it’s important that they understand that it is a common experience and not to take it personally. Here are some tips to help your little one get more comfortable with folks who are new to them:

Give your baby time to get to know the individual, and allow the baby to set the pace of that meeting.
Give the person a toy to pass to the baby, getting a smile and fast friendship.
Do not force the baby to go to the person.
Stay where they baby can see you.

Fear of being away from parents

Whether it’s for a few seconds or a few hours, many children get upset being away from their parents. Here are some tips to help your child feel better if you are away:

Create a framework – Tell your child when you’re leaving and when you will return.
Reassurance – If you’re in another room, speak to your child so they can hear you. Take them with you if you’re going to be longer than a few minutes.
Comfort routines – Create a consistent bedtime routine of stories, songs, and a tucking in, before you leave the room for the night. Also, make sure they have their favorite toy or blanket when they have a sitter / need to go to daycare.
Building trust – Give your child the opportunity to get to know the babysitter before leaving them alone together. Alternatively, take them to the daycare center before they are left there, and stay with them for a while.
No surprises – Have the babysitter come before the child goes to bed, and always say good by before you leave (don’t try to sneak out).

Ask for Help

Whatever the fear is, there are a number of resources out there to support parents and caregivers. No matter how trivial it may seem, remember we are here to help – don’t hesitate to ask staff at Creating Together any further questions or areas of support you might have.

Please stay tuned for more information about our upcoming information sessions in November.

Family Baking: Healthy Muffins

October 14, 2019 by Melanie

This week, parents and caregivers came together at Creating Together to enjoy family-time baking together making “Healthy Muffins”. We shared a great basic muffin mix, that you can change up by adding whatever dried fruit your little ones prefer! Scroll down for the recipe, and mark your calendars for our upcoming Toddler Food Preparation Workshop on October 16th at 10am!

Did you know…

You can freeze any muffin! Bake, completely cool and freeze in any air tight container for up to 3 months. Thaw on a counter for 3-4 hours or overnight.
Have an egg allergy? Want to try a vegan option? Substitute eggs with mashed banana, pumpkin, or applesauce (one-fourth cup of the purée per egg). Another option is ground flax or chia seeds (whisk together 1 tablespoon of ground chia or flaxseeds with 3 tablespoons of water until fully absorbed and thickened).

Try it at Home

If you couldn’t make it to family-time baking this week, enjoy the muffin recipe below and try it at home! Feel free to save and print this recipe card and add it to your cookbook 🙂

Increasing Happiness and Well-Being through Traditions of Gratitude

October 7, 2019 by Melanie

The chill in the air and the changing leaves tells us winter is coming. As the autumn season blossoms around us, it’s a great time to reflect on our autumn traditions.

With the Canadian Thanksgiving around the corner, this becomes a beautiful time of year to celebrate gratitude and thanks for the bountiful harvests in our lives.

Gratitude is Key to Well-Being

Evidence from our research at Berkeley suggests that grateful young adolescents (ages 11-13), compared to their less grateful counterparts, are happier and more optimistic, have better social support, are more satisfied with their school, family, community, friends, and themselves, and give more emotional support to others.

Research has also shown that gratitude plays a major role in our well-being and success. For example, one study links gratitude to greater social support and protection from stress and depression over time.

How Can We Cultivate a Tradition of Gratitude in our Youngsters?

Whether it’s Sunday dinners, birthdays, or family game night, having routines that you do as a “family” is important on many levels. Research since the 1950s shows us that no matter which language you speak or where you are from in the world, traditions and rituals in family life are linked to increased happiness, emotional well-being, and a greater sense of identity in children. So how can we cultivate a tradition of gratitude in our families, so we can give our children the best possible foundation?

Harvest time is the perfect time of year to begin.

Traditionally at this time of year, people give thanks for the sunlight and the fruits of the earth, recognizing that we must share those fruits as we enter the harsher months, and prepare to turn inward in the winter darkness. It’s the perfect time to get started on a family routine to cultivate gratitude – and it won’t only benefit the kids. We could all use a little more happiness and well-being!

Join us this Friday for our annual Thanksgiving Potluck Lunch – make a dish with your young one and join us in gratitude and celebration!

The Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley has done a lot of work in the area, and published an article with 7 suggestions for fostering gratitude in their “Greater Good Magazine” as part of their “Expanding Gratitude” project, summarized here:

Model and teach gratitude: Expressing gratitude through words, writing, and small gifts or acts of reciprocity are all ways to teach children how to become grateful. Adults can promote gratitude directly in children by helping them appraise the benefits they receive from others—the personal value of those benefits, the altruistic intention of people providing them, and the cost to those people. This helps kids think gratefully.
Spend time with your kids and be mindful when with them: Being mindful helps you maintain empathy toward a child, and this provides important modeling of empathy, the most important emotion for developing gratitude and moral behavior. It will also give you and your child a heightened sense of appreciation for the things both of you love and for your relationship.
Support your child’s autonomy: Using an authoritative or democratic parenting style, which is firm, yet flexible, sup- ports children’s autonomy. This will enhance family relationships, improve the atmosphere at home, and help bring out their strengths and talents, all good for making grateful kids. Also, limiting children’s media consumption and guiding them to use media in prosocial ways protects them from commercial influences that discourage the development of the authenticity, self-development, and social interaction necessary to grow into positive, purposeful, grateful individuals.
Use kids’ strengths to fuel gratitude: After you’ve identified your children’s top strengths and you know their unique strengths profile, you should encourage and help them to use those strengths whenever possible. Not only does this open up opportunities for others to contribute to the things your children love, but it also enables your children to strengthen their ability to be helpful and cooperative toward others, which will make them more grateful.
Help focus and support kids to achieve intrinsic goals: Steer children away from pursuing extrinsic goals and toward pursuing intrinsic goals, such as engaging in activities that provide community, affiliation, and growth. Not only will successfully achieving these goals fulfill children’s fundamental human needs of competency, belongingness, and autonomy, but their personal development, happiness, success, and gratitude depend on it. To amplify their gratitude even more, remember to savor their accomplishments with them along the way, and encourage them to thank those who’ve helped them meet their goals.
Encourage helping others and nurturing relationships: When children lend a hand, especially while using their strengths, they feel more connected to those they’re helping, which helps them to develop and nurture friendships and social relationships. A great way to do this is by teaching them through your actions that other people matter and that tending to relationships should be a priority. To help children strengthen their relationships, you should encourage them to be thoughtful of others, to thank others regularly, and to be cooperative, helpful, and giving.
Help kids find what matters to them: The deepest sense of gratitude in life comes from connecting to a bigger picture, to an issue that matters to others and doing things that contribute to society down the road.

Whatever it is that you choose to do, cultivating gratitude in your family will give everybody a lift, and will create long-term impact for individual family members but also for communities to become more compassionate, caring, and content.

How Gratitude Helps Through Hard Times

9 Gratitude Activities for Children

Gratitude Traditions for Thanksgiving Dinner