Tips and Tools Archives | Page 3 of 13 | Creating Together Parkdale

10 Tips for Healthier Smiles

April 5, 2021 by Melanie

April is National Oral Health month, and brings with it the opportunity for Canadians of all ages to think about ways to keep their smiles healthy and bright.

Living in pandemic-times has meant delayed dental care for many families, and delay can have long-term ramifications that we’d all rather avoid, so it becomes more important than ever for families to practice an oral health routine at home.

Ten Tips for Parents

The Ontario Dental Association offers these 10 tips to help parents:

Before your baby has teeth, wipe the gums gently with a clean wet cloth after each feeding.
If your baby sleeps with a bottle or sippy cup at naptime or bedtime, fill it with water only.
If your baby normally falls asleep while feeding, brush his or her teeth before feeding.
Lift your baby’s lip and watch for changes in colour, lines or spots on your child’s teeth as these may be signs of potential problems.
For children from birth to 3 years of age, talk to your dentist about whether fluoridated toothpaste is appropriate for your child and how much should be used.
For children from 3 to 6 years of age, only a small amount (a portion the size of a green pea) of fluoridated toothpaste should be used. Children in this age group should be assisted by an adult when brushing their teeth.
Begin flossing at least once a day when your child’s teeth are touching.
Change your child’s toothbrush every one to three months or immediately after an illness.
To prevent spreading germs that cause tooth decay, do not put anything in your child’s mouth if it has been in your mouth. Don’t share spoons, cups, food, toothbrushes, etc.
Visit your dentist by the age of one year, or when the first teeth appear. Take your child to the dentist for regular checkups to make sure there are no problems.

Download and print the Ten Tips for Parents

Tips for Preparing for Your Child’s Dental Appointment

Stanford Children’s health has a great tip sheet to help parents prepare their children for the dentist, and how to come prepared themselves – take a look HERE and enjoy this video created by the Ontario Dental Association to help you get the dental care you need during a pandemic:

Fun Activities to Do with Children

Also, here are some fun activities you can do with your children, to promote the importance of oral health to children in a fun way. Parents and teachers are welcome to download and use this material, brought to us all by the Canadian Dental Association:

Good luck keeping those growing smiles healthy and bright!

Teaching Children to Love Themselves

March 1, 2021 by Melanie

Self-esteem and confidence is important to nurture in children. It instills a growth mindset, resilience, and the ability to both act responsibly and take accountability for one’s actions. On the other hand, a poor self-esteem can lead to feelings of frustration and sadness, a loss of interest in learning, and becoming withdrawn / non-committal.

So how do we cultivate Self-Love in our children? Well, according to the Child Development Center in Illinois, here are five simple yet important steps that parents and teachers alike can take to build self-esteem:

Listen to and acknowledge your child’s thoughts and feelings.
Create situations that help your child experience success, not failure. Set clear and appropriate expectations, offer reasonable amounts of help, provide adequate incentives and remove obstacles.
Give your child a feeling of reasonable control over their life.
Reinforce that your child is lovable and capable.
Show your child that you have a positive view of yourself.

(https://www.chhs.niu.edu/child-center/resources/articles/self-esteem.shtml)

Self-Love Programming This Week at Creating Together

This week Creating Together is focusing it’s programming on Self-Love, to offer some stories, songs and tools to move the children of our community in the right direction. Apart from our regular science, craft and movement activities, join us for some of these experiences, designed especially for our theme!

Circle Time: Join us Monday and Wednesday at 10am on our Zoom channel for live songs and rhymes about self-love, with a special focus on infant circle time on Friday at noon (also on Zoom).

Storytime: Read along with us through our Facebook page at noon on Monday, Wednesday or Friday for stories of self-love. For example, this Monday Leah shared “I Am Perfectly Designed” by Jason Brown and his Father Karamo Brown (author reading below as well), “One Love” by Cedella Marley (Bob Marley’s daughter!).

Glitterbug Guest Circle: This Wednesday (and the first Wednesday of every month, join us for a live virtual circle time with special guest Jerry from Glitterbug at 10:00 am on Zoom: zoom.us/j/7391226799.

Parent Drop-In Discussion: On Monday and Friday at 2:30, join us on Zoom for a live drop-in parent discussion.

Enjoy the week families, join us if you can, and please reach out to our staff if we can help you with any resources – We are here to help!

Resources:

5 Fun Ideas to Celebrate Family Day Weekend

February 13, 2021 by Melanie

Family Day is celebrated on the third Monday of every February. Though not an official national holiday, we celebrate it across the country, with family festivals and things to do. Between Valentines Day on the 14th and Family Day on the 15th, this time of year is certainly a time for us to appreciate one another.

Each year Creating Together holds a family potluck to celebrate our families. This year, we are all getting creative given the entire Greater Toronto Area is under lockdown until Feb 22.

Here are some ideas for Family Day Weekend:

Go Fishing!

OFFE is a province-wide opportunity for Canadian residents to fish Ontario licence-free. There are four periods throughout the year, the 3-day Family Day weekend in February, Mother’s day and Father’s day weekends and a full 9-days in July, which coincides with National Fishing Week. Give it a try, and fish Ontario waters near you with the kids this family day weekend!

https://www.ontario.ca/page/licence-free-family-fishing

Ice Skating

City of Toronto has 54 outdoor artificial refrigerated ice rink locations, and many of them have the season extended until March, weather permitting. General hours of operation for City-run outdoor rinks are 9:00 am to 10:00 pm, seven days a week. Check them out HERE.

Toboganning

Toboganning never gets old. Timeless, tried and true – enjoy these 50+ Places to Toboggan in Greater Toronto Area

Go for a Family Hike at a Conservation Park

Ontario is filled with unspeakable beauty – and it’s yours for the exploring. Get the hiking boots out, dress warm, and enjoy some of the natural wonders at one of these 50 Nature Attractions & Hotspots in and around GTA.

Vitual Storytime with the Stars!

Burlington Performing Arts Centre invites you to celebrate Family Day by snuggling in with our FREE virtual Storytime With the Stars! Enjoy videos of some of BPAC’s favourite artists, who have each selected a cherished children’s storybook to read to your little ones.

Happy Family Day Weekend

from Creating Together!

Whether it’s sharing food together, helping out one another around the house, spending special time together or sharing memories – we’ve come to celebrate this time of year with love, gratitude, appreciation and fun. From our families to yours, may you enjoy this time together and make it the very best that it can be!

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.

5 Healthy Habits for Families

January 7, 2021 by Melanie

Happy New Year!

A fresh new year can give us all perspective on what might need shifting, and some fresh wind in your sails to set up healthy habits. There’s no time like the present!

Tip: To make the most of your efforts, choose new habits that are doable, and take it slow – too much change at once makes it harder to achieve your goals. Enjoy these 5 tips and strategies to get into some healthy habits for you and your family.

1. If you could pick a superpower…

With all this time on our hands, have each family member pick one superpower they’d like to develop by the end of 2021, and support each other to make it happen. Set up challenges, learning goals and check-ins, and take advantage of the plethora of online courseware DIY/ instruction videos.

2. Cutting back on screen time (and not just the kids!)

Most cell phones now have a screen-time tracker, so you can track and limit the amount of time you spend on your screen. Set up some healthy goals, such as no screens after a certain time, no devices by ones bedside, scheduled breaks of fresh air or exercise. Consider replacing screen time with fun family activities such as board games, art projects, or reading time.

3. Exercise together

Get everyone moving to a family exercise plan, with online classes and family hikes. Take a look at these links for nearby hiking trains and bike trails to help you keep active together.

4. Celebrate good food

Sometimes life demands a quick meal, but try to prepare some healthy snacks each week so it’s easier to reach for than the chips, soda, or fast food. Cooking together, experimenting with new foods and recipes, and exploring family traditions are what great family memories are made of!

5. Start a Gratitude jar

Every day we face challenges, and gratitude is key:

In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/giving-thanks-can-make-you-happier

Starting a Gratitude Jar can be a great family habit. Decorate a jar, and each day or once a week, give the gift of happiness to your family by encouraging them to talk about and/or write down something they’re grateful for.