Featured Archives | Creating Together Parkdale

We’re Counting on Your Support this Season

November 24, 2022 by Creating Together

“I bring my son and baby here every week to learn, play, and teach my children. If it wasn’t for this place I don’t know where I would take my children or get the help I need.”
– Parent

We have received some lovely messages from current and past families since we launched our fundraising campaign earlier this month. They have been wonderful reminders of our many community connections, as Creating Together has been supporting families in Parkdale since 1976. With your help, we can continue to offer high quality, accessible support and services to our community into the future!

Please consider making a donation in support of our program through our Canada Helps page.

Curious about how many families drop in each month? Here’s a look at Creating Together by the numbers:

Our community continues to grow – we love seeing new and familiar faces each week!

With over 1,000 visits monthly, we will direct some funds raised towards hiring additional program staff to keep up with our growing community. We hope we can count on your support in the coming weeks!

Understanding Remembrance

November 8, 2021 by Melanie

Thursday November 11th is Remembrance Day – and it can bring up so many great questions in a young family. 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.

Supporting Children’s Mental Health

May 11, 2021 by Melanie

According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, approximately 1 in 5 children and youth in Ontario has a mental health challenge. About 70% of mental health challenges have their onset in childhood or youth. To help them with better outcomes, we can look for the signs and symptoms of mental health issues in the children of our lives, line them up with the right supports, and also do everything we can to help them cope before it becomes a major issue.

May 7th was National Child and Youth Mental Health Day, so we’d like to use this time to shed some light on the issues and also set you up with some resources to support you and your loved ones.

A Review of the Impact

In their Rapid Review published January 2021, Public Health Ontario organized findings from studies around the globe, about the impact of community responses to COVID-19 on children and youth. While a full detailed listing of findings are outlined in the link above, some key findings include:

Young children and adolescents were affected differently by the COVID-19 response: Parents of young children reported more behavioural difficulties, hyperactivity, and conduct problems, while adolescents were more likely to have increased anxiety and depressive symptoms, increased suicidal ideation, and increased frequency of alcohol consumption for those reporting any use.
Parental stress was linked to negative child outcomes. The level of parents’ perceived stress due to the COVID19 pandemic may exacerbate or buffer mental health and behaviour problems in children.
Other child outcomes negatively impacted by the pandemic included movement behaviours (decreased physical activity, increased sedentary behaviour and screen time), increased food insecurity, negative educational outcomes, increased injuries occurring at home, and increased reports of child maltreatment.
While use of health services decreased, illness severity increased, and visits for mental health reasons increased in the later weeks of the pandemic. There may have been some parents delaying care for their children due to fear of acquiring COVID-19 infection in the hospital.
Although this review identified many relevant studies, most were convenience samples. As such, families from diverse ethnicities or racialized communities, who are more likely to experience greater social and health inequities which may be exacerbated during the pandemic, are systematically underrepresented.

These key findings were based on studies from May-October 2020, and they found that the magnitude and number of negative impacts appeared to be increasing as well. Here we are, half a year later, so it naturally highlights the importance of all of our efforts in supporting the children as well as the parents in our communities – especially our communities here in Parkdale, which represents one of the most diverse and communities in Toronto.

What Can You Do?

Awareness: We can all become more aware of the range of mental health issues in children and youth, and the signs and symptoms to look out for. Check out the Child Mind Institute’s Symptom Checker if you are concerned about a child in your life, to help you navigate next steps.

Caregiver support: If you are a caregiver and in need of support, please call Creating Together right away so that we can line you up with support and resources. Whether it’s a friendly ear or a referral, we are here for you. Also, you can find a number of resources to support families and caregivers here: https://ontario.cmha.ca/documents/family-and-caregiver-support/

Ecotherapy: Spending time in nature improves mood, gets us moving, builds confidence, and helps with concentration. Here are some ideas for getting your kids outdoors.

Integrative Approach: Consider an integrative approach to mental wellness, including reducing additives, addressing vitamin deficiencies, and immune support. There are a number of integrative medicine practitioners in Toronto that you can reach out to.

We are here for you. Please drop by the Center if you need mental health support or just somebody to talk to. The Center is closed, but we are in between 9-4pm every day so just knock!

Happy International Women’s Day 2021!

March 8, 2021 by Melanie

March 8 is International Women’s Day, a global day of recognition celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women and girls, and raising awareness of the work left to be done.

Celebrating at Creating Together

At Creating Together, we will be celebrating throughout the week of March 8-12 through our online and remote programming, to honour the women of our communities. Whether it’s crafts, circle time, story time, or the parent info sessions, we have a great line-up for you. Check out the calendar, invite your friends, and join us!

National Theme: Feminist Recovery

Each year, the Government of Canada promotes a new theme for International Women’s Day, to increase awareness around important issues affecting women across the country. This International Women’s Day, the Government of Canada invites all of us to take a pledge to advance gender equality and support an inclusive recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic by using #FeministRecovery on your social media accounts.

What is an Inclusive Recovery?

An inclusive recovery offers the opportunity to advance gender equality and provide economic and social stability for all Canadians.

It has identified fundamental gaps in our society and disproportionately impacted those who were already marginalized, vulnerable or struggling. On every front, the COVID-19 pandemic has eroded hard-fought gains to gender equality. From layoffs to lack of child care to increased unpaid work to the rise of domestic violence, women have been most deeply impacted by the health and economic crisis.

The Government of Canada is working to create an Action Plan for Women in the Economy to help women get back into the workforce and ensure a feminist, intersectional response to this pandemic and recovery. This Plan will be led by a diverse task force of experts and guide a whole-of-government approach.

How to Get Involved in Canada’s Response

Learn more about Canada’s Response and Recovery Summit taking place on March 8 and 9, 2021
Pledge to advance gender equality and support an inclusive recovery from COVID-19 in your community using the hashtag #FeministRecovery
Visit the Women of Impact in Canada Gallery to learn about the inspiring achievements of the former inductees

Learn more about how to get involved by clicking the image below:

Creating Together Offerings

Link to craft video to make a card for a special woman in your life: https://fb.watch/42eU9iinQi/

Watch our Circle Time with Leah that is all about loving your body: https://fb.watch/40REt0ARs0/

Also – Join Leah for Women’s Day parent and caregiver discussion and resource share on raising feminist children on March 8th at 2:30 pm (Zoom Link – zoom.us/j/7391226799)

See our virtual program poster below for more information about our virtual programming to support you in being the best you can be for your children).

Online & Remote Programming

January 14, 2021 by Melanie

Online and remote programming is a lifeline for families right now. Trust us when we say – we understand how difficult isolation can be.

People placed in quarantine or self-isolation may experience a wide range of feelings, including fear, anger, sadness, irritability, guilt or confusion. They may find it hard to sleep. Some people might feel relieved. Humans are social creatures and need connection to others to thrive, which can make isolation challenging.
https://www.camh.ca/en/health-info/mental-health-and-covid-19/quarantine-and-isolation

The following suggestions may help you through this challenging time – we want to emphasize to all of our families that we are here to continue offering support to families while they stay home.

Online Support

Please see our virtual programming in the poster below, and craft a routine that can support your rhythm, wherever you are at.

Tips:

For Zoom on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, all you have to do is open (click) on the zoom link, and follow the instructions that Zoom provides for downloading the app onto your device. Here’s the link to join us: zoom.us/j/7391226799
For Facebook circle time on Tuesdays and Thursdays, just sign onto our Facebook page here and watch the session live with us! Here’s the link to join us on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CreatingTogetherParkdale
We do highly recommend you try and come to the live programs, as it can be a more interactive experience both for you as well as you child. At the same time, if you can’t make it to the program then do take a look at the recordings posted on our Facebook page, to have it benefit you at the pace you can manage.

Remote Support

Creating Together now offers remote support through some curb-side pick-up options, with delivery available on request:

food packages,
craft and activity supplies to supplement our online programming,
printed resources.

Telephone Support

We are also ready to talk, so please don’t hesitate to reach out at: (416) 537-1004 if you need access to resources, advice, and support.