Volume 3, Issue 3

Fall 2015

H appy Early Fall!

This is my favourite time of year when the leaves are changing colours, crickets are chirping, and the eve-nings are cooler. I en-

joy many walks through the woods, evening bon-fires on the beach, and some fall camping with my family.

What are your favourite things to do outdoors?

Engaging children in the outdoors is one of the healthiest things a parent can do for their family. The outdoors allows children to fully and freely ex-perience motor skills like running, leaping, and jump-ing. Cognitive and social/emotional development is also impacted.

“Outside, children are more likely to invent games. As they do, they’re able to express themselves and learn about the world in their own way. They feel safe and in control, which promotes autonomy, deci-sion-making, and organizational skills. Inventing rules for games (as preschoolers like to do) pro-motes an understanding of why rules are necessary.

Although the children are only playing to have fun, they’re learning:

Communication skills and vocabulary (as they invent, modify, and enforce rules).

Number relationships (as they keep score and count).

Social customs (as they learn to play together and cooperate).”

Outdoor fun could include:

A nature walk. Ask them to tell you what they’re seeing, hearing, and smelling. Encourage them to touch—to discover the smoothness of a rock, the roughness of bark, and the fragility of a dried leaf.

A listening walk through your neighbourhood. This makes for a wonderful sound discrimination activity. As you walk with the children, point out the sounds of birds, passing cars, whistling wind, and even your footsteps on the sidewalk.

Source: http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleID=275

Cheryl Jordan, Success By 6 Coordinator, Early Years Community Developer

Sunday,

October

4, 2015

FREE Family Swim

12:30 PM - 4:00 PM

Sponsored by Success By 6

Suggest and ENTER, See Page 2!

PPD Peer Mentor Training, Page 9

Colour edition of C.R. Families Go to www.crfamilynetwork.ca

Share us with family and friends!

The Campbell River Family Network Newsletter

Emily’s Top Picks 5

Salmon Cheese Roll 6

Food And Play 7

Baby’s Social Emotional 8

Easing Into Playgroups 10

A Message From Our Coordinator

C.R. Families

Page 2 Volume 3, Issue 3 C.R. Families Fall 2015

I n the spotlight this issue is Fresh Dental. Fresh Dental always welcomes children on their first ap-

pointment with their very own Fresco Bear. Fresco is their mascot who promotes Children’s Dental Health.

The entire team is welcoming and kind to all of their patients.

“I’m proud of our involvement in the Campbell River Community. Fresco, in particular, is a great promoter of Children’s Dental Health. The majority of patients that Fresh Dental serves are actually adults, but we absolutely support good dental care for everyone!”

–Dr. Christine Hildebrand

Here are some of the things Fresco has been in-volved in:

1. Flossing with Fresco challenge. This is where Fresco invites kindergarten children (and many grade ones) in Campbell River to be part of a Brushing and Flossing challenge every April. He goes into the schools to promote dental health and provides each teacher and student with spe-cial tooth care kits and information about dental care. The students who accept his challenge to take care of their teeth for a whole month re-ceive a fun prize.

2. Special appearances at the beach, the play-ground, and around town.

3. Participates in special events like Charity Golf Tournaments, The Children’s Health Fair, and Canada Day Parade.

4. Fresco loves to hand out “smile friendly” treats at Halloween with the tooth fairy and his friends at Fresh Dental.

The layout is designed with families in mind. We have a special kids waiting area, toys, iPads with chil-dren’s TV and games, and televisions with Netflix in all the treatment rooms. We have a change table and are nursing friendly. We have special benches in all the treatment rooms so families can be together if they choose.

We have great toothbrushes and prizes for children in fun vending machines.

All of the team members at Fresh Dental have a great life outside of work. Each team member works an average of four days a week. This allows us all time to spend with our families and friends. We feel that it is so important to respect everyone’s life outside of work.

Fresh Dental: A Family Friendly Business In Our Community

Through the eyes of an eight year old!

M y mom is a scaredy cat at the dentist and wanted to go some place where the den-

tist was really nice. I heard from my friends that they gave really cool prizes there and asked my mom to switch dentists. The first time we went there, we got a teddy bear. There’s a kid cave with books and comfy kid chairs. They offer kids iPads while they are waiting. When you walk in the back you see the wall of vending machines, and you’re told you will get tokens to pick your prize when you are done. We really like that they let the parents come into the back with the kids. If you are scared or freak out a little they let your mom calm you down and comfort you. For Hal-loween, they gave out awesome goody bags with electric toothbrushes and other good stuff.

–Quinlyn

SUGGEST TO ENTER OUR $50 DRAW!

I f you would like to suggest a business, send an email to crsuccessby6@gmail.com. In a few

words, tell us the business name, how they meet the criteria for a family friendly business, and your family experience with the business. All suggestions will be considered by our committee.

Everyone who sends a suggestion will have their name entered in a draw for a $50 cer-tificate to a grocery store of their choice.

C.R. Families Fall 2015 Volume 3, Issue 3 Page 3

Choosing Dental Products For Kids

T here’s a lot of discussion about how to prevent cavities in chil-

dren’s teeth. Basic care includes a par-ent or caregiver brushing children’s teeth twice a day with fluoride tooth-paste and flossing daily once their teeth touch. However, it can be confusing to choose between the many oral care products on the market today. Following are some simple guidelines around appropriate dental care products to use for kids.

Toothbrushes

Gently brushing teeth helps remove plaque and food that is stuck to the teeth.

Use a toothbrush with a small head to fit a child’s mouth.

Ultra soft or soft bristles are gentle on the gums but still able to remove plaque and food.

Power toothbrushes may motivate some chil-dren to brush, but they aren’t necessary. Re-cently, some power toothbrushes have been recalled by Health Canada because they came apart in the mouth or shorted out. Before your child uses a power toothbrush, check that the head is securely attached and there are no loose pieces.

Fluoride Toothpaste

Fluoride helps protect teeth from cavities and is a recommended ingredient in toothpaste. Fluoride isn’t added to our water supply, so using toothpaste containing fluoride to strengthen and protect teeth is recommended for all ages. If you use well water, it can be tested for fluoride.

Parents need to be aware that many “baby” toothpastes do not offer the protection of fluo-ride and often cost more than regular tooth-paste. As soon as teeth appear, the Canadian and BC Dental Associations, as well as the World Health Organization, advise that it is safe for chil-dren to use fluoride toothpaste as long as it’s the correct amount.

Fluoride toothpaste for children contains the same concentration of fluoride as adult tooth-paste. According to the Canadian Dental Asso-ciation (CDA), the safe, appropriate amount of fluoride toothpaste is:

For children under 3 years: an amount the size of a grain of rice.

For children over 3 years or those who do not swallow toothpaste: an amount the size of a green pea.

The Canadian Dental Associa-tion’s seal of approval should be on the tube of toothpaste used.

Children often prefer toothpaste that is mild or sweet. Toothpaste does not contain decay-causing sugar but does have other sweeteners to make it more palatable and prevent it from drying out and hardening. The most common sweeteners are xylitol, sorbitol, or glycerin. Xyli-tol is a natural sweetener that helps prevent tooth decay.

Toothpastes may also have added whitening, desensitizing, tartar-control, breath freshening, or anti-bacterial ingredients. When you see the Canadian Dental Association seal of approval on a tube of toothpaste, check to see what it is ap-proving. It may be approving the fluoride in the toothpaste, not the added ingredients. Some of these additional ingredients have not been tested for safety or effectiveness on children and are not recommended for youngsters.

For safety, store all toothpaste out of reach of children, and monitor how much toothpaste is being used.

Floss

When children’s teeth start touching side-by-side, toothbrush bristles can’t reach in between them anymore. Floss is needed to clear food and plaque from between teeth once per day. Before bed is the best time.

String-type floss or floss sticks can be used. Try a see-saw motion with the floss to ease it be-tween the teeth and avoid damaging the gums. Parents often find it easiest to floss their child’s teeth when the child’s head is supported and they are lying down.

Waxed floss usually slides between the teeth more easily than un-waxed floss.

Mouth Rinse

Continued on Page 4

Page 4 Volume 3, Issue 3 C.R. Families Fall 2015

Choosing Dental Products For Kids

Continued from Page 3

Mouthwash is used by adults for dif-ferent reasons, but children don’t need mouthwash for good oral health. Basic brushing with fluoride toothpaste and flossing will protect their teeth.

When children can spit, you may choose to pur-chase mouthwash for your children. Only alco-hol-free mouth rinse should be considered.

Mouth rinses that show where plaque is on the teeth can be used by children who are able to spit the rinse out completely. These may help motivate older children to brush but are not nec-essary.

Other basic tips for keeping children’s teeth cavity free:

Children need parent’s help to brush their teeth properly until they are 8 years old.

Make brushing fun to encourage good oral care.

Offer tooth healthy snacks like fresh fruit and vegetables, cheese, nuts, and foods that are not sweet or sticky.

Give water for thirst between meals. Juice, even diluted juice, can cause cavities.

Regular visits to the dentist should start around 1 year of age.

If you have any questions or need help finding a den-tist, please call your local Health Unit.

Submitted by Ethel Henry, RDH, Campbell River Community Dental Hygienist

Written by Denise Baillet, RDH, VIHA Child, Youth, & Family Dental Program, Victoria

a little cat

a little cat is a kitten

a kitten is a little kitten

is a cat.

By Willow, Age 5

I was eating breakfast and I bumped into the wall

and then my knees were bleeding. And then I cried.

The blue is for my tears.

By Johnus, Age 5

To view in colour go to www.crfamilynetwork.ca.

By Coen, Age 6

C.R. Families Fall 2015 Volume 3, Issue 3 Page 5

1. Please Mr. Panda by Steve Antony

2. Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson

3. Quest by Aaron Becker

4. The Little Red Hen by Paul Galdone

5. Not A Stick by Antoinette Portis

J oin us in September for Baby/Toddler Time (0-24 months) on Wednesdays at 11:15 AM, and/or Fam-

ily Storytime (2-5 years) on Fridays at 10:30 AM!

Photo Right: A group of Summer Reading Club partici-

pants join Emily Mathews, Customer Services Librar-

ian—Children & Youth Services, for Storytime.

Campbell River Branch, 1240 Shoppers Row 250-287-3655 campbellriver@virl.bc.ca

Emily’s Top Picks For Kid’s Under 6

We Have Moved!

PacificCARE in Campbell River has moved from its down-town location to Dogwood Place at 301 Dogwood Street as of August 26, 2015.

Eleanor, the local consultant, is located on the second floor along with the Supported Child Development program.

All parents requiring assistance with child care subsidy forms (or who have any question about child care or subsidy) are welcome to call, email, or drop in for assistance. An elevator is available for your convenience.

Please call Eleanor at 250-203-6022 or email

egee@pacific-care.bc.ca.

Play is not only fun, it is the best way for children to learn to solve problems, build relationships,

and foster learning and well-being. Play is how children cope with and understand their world.

Page 6 Volume 3, Issue 3 C.R. Families Fall 2015

Kwakwala Corner ~ Poetry, Recipe, And Art!

Salmon Cheese Roll

Canned salmon

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 block creamed cheese

5 to 6 dill pickles, cut in small pieces

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

¼ to ½ cup chopped onions

1 tsp ReaLemon juice

1 small bag finely chopped walnuts

I n a large bowl, clean the salmon; take out the bones. Add both cheeses. Mix in pickles, onions,

lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce. Roll into a large ball. Roll or pat walnuts around the salmon ball. Add your favourite crackers. Enjoy!

Thank you to the Laichwiltach Family Life Society for their permission to use this recipe.

Salmon Cheese Roll, submitted by Lenora and Ruth, From the Family Favourite Recipes With A 1st Nations Flavour Cookbook, page 7.

Laichwiltach Family Life Society 441 – 4th Avenue, Campbell River, BC V9W 3W7

I Love… Poetry selection from Poems in my pocket, PALS Aboriginal Family Literacy Resource, page 271.

Artwork Right: Whale. Coloured by Hunter, Age 6.

Whale text: “Living together in large families to survive, the whale reminds of the importance of cooperating with others. The song of the whale is considered by some to be the voices

of our ancestors.” –Eric Parnell, Haida

Kwakwala Corner, by Dana Roberts, Aboriginal Success By 6 Coordinator.

Thanks, Dana!

Volume 3, Issue 3 Page 7 C.R. Families Fall 2015

Food And Play ~ Outdoor Adventures

Children can discover and learn the mystery of where food comes from and how it’s grown, raised, or processed.

Children can learn the names and types of differ-ent fruits and vegetables. They can learn to identify the parts of plants they can eat.

Think seasonally! Fall means choosing your pumpkin at the local pumpkin patch or picking apples; summer means berry picking and pails of fresh, juicy berries; and spring means fresh pea shoots at the market. Talk about the seasonal fruit and vegetables we have in BC and why foods grow better at certain times.

Enjoy fresh air and quality time with your family out-doors. Getting outside will satisfy your child’s natu-ral curiosity for the world around them, expand their horizons, and encourage them to enjoy great food.

Written by Amber Brown-Dahl, Dietetic Intern and Anthea Kennelly MSc, RD, Island Health

F ood should be fun!

Playing with food is how children learn and de-velop healthy attitudes towards food. They learn through touch, smell, taste, sound, and seeing their food environment. Outdoor field trips are a great way to involve your family in healthy eating activities and allow children to explore where their food comes from. Children may need to see new foods many times before they try them. Activity time with food counts.

This is a great time of year to explore farms, mar-kets, forests, and wharves where food is found or harvested!

Take a trip to a farmers market, farm, orchard, or garden. How does the food get to the table?

Yummy fall grapes

fresh from the vine!

The best teaching tool for your child is a strong

relationship with you. When you provide loving care

and help meet your child’s needs, you create an emo-

tional bond that gives your child the strength,

trust, and security he or she needs to take on life’s

challenges.

C.R. Families Fall 2015 Page 8 Volume 3, Issue 3

T hrough attachment with the impor-tant people in their lives (e.g., par-

ents, siblings, close extended family, and friends), babies develop a sense of well-being and trust.

Your baby cannot speak, but he still has ways to let you know when he is happy, tired, hungry, afraid, or sick. When you pay attention to your baby’s crying and comfort him, he learns that you can protect him. He comes to know that you will act in a predictable and caring way when he needs you. This makes him feel secure.

When your child is trusting and secure he learns to trust other people in different situations and is bet-ter able to control the way he reacts in situations that he finds scary or stressful.

How can you help your baby’s social emotional de-velopment?

Pay attention to your baby’s crying or other signs of discomfort, worry, or distress. These are your baby’s ways of letting you know he is not doing well and that he needs your comfort. Comfort your baby by responding quickly to any signs of discomfort or distress. For example, be loving and caring, speak softly, and hold your baby in your arms. Set up a care routine that is always the same (e.g., baths and meals at fixed times, bedtime routines). We all know that some days are extra busy and our regular routine goes out the window, but try to make these

days the exception rather than the norm. Take a few minutes to hold your baby in your arms to “talk” or “sing” and interact with him. This is a great way to build attachment with your baby.

When your baby is 4 to 7 months old, pay attention to the games your baby likes to play (e.g., peek-a-boo, patty cake) and signs that your baby wants to play. Imitate what he does. Look for signs that your baby is tired of the game and stop.

Pay attention to your own signs of fatigue, stress, and discouragement. Give yourself specific time to rest. Share your child’s care with your partner when-ever possible. Get help from family, friends, or ser-vices in your community when you need it.

Debbie Griffiths, Supported Child Development

Excerpts from Eyes On, publication of the Centre of Excellence for Early Childhood Development & Strate-gic Knowledge Cluster on Early Child Development; websites: www.excellence-earlychildhood.ca and www.skc-ecd.ca.

My Baby’s Social Emotional Development

All children are unique.

Know your child’s temperament.

Some are quiet and sensitive.

Others are boisterous and courageous.

How Can Your Business Help Our Newsletter?

By placing a Business Sponsorship Ad! Ads are avail-able in a variety of sizes starting at $25.00 per issue.

Connect with crsuccessby6@gmail.com TODAY!

Volume 3, Issue 3 Page 9 C.R. Families Fall 2015

T hrough Island Health’s Right

from the Start pro-gram, Public Health Nurses in Campbell River routinely have contact with women during pregnancy and

after the birth of their baby.

A need has been identified in our community to re-start group for women experiencing perinatal depression, anxiety, and adjustment challenges, where they will find peer and professional sup-port and skill building exercise.

Topics covered range from self-care, sleep, and relationships to dealing with anxiety, negative thoughts, and the myths and expectations of motherhood.

Childcare is provided on site.

To register or for more information, please con-tact Rebecca Miller (250-850-2620), or Jaime Guthrie (250-850-2110).

PPD Peer Mentor Training

P ublic Health is looking for moms who have experienced postpartum depression (PPD) in

the past and would be willing to take the peer mentor training offered by Mental Health this fall.

You would then act as mentors for moms experi-encing postpartum adjust-ment issues.

Please contact Jaime Guthrie at 250-850-2110.

Family Event!

Annual Pumpkinfest Celebration

October 17 at Spirit Square

from 11 AM - 3 PM

C.R. Families Fall 2015 Page 10 Volume 3, Issue 3

Five Tips For Easing Into Playgroups

behavioural issues, it should be done without your child being pre-sent.)

2. Do a practice run.

Go to the school/building/room where the group will be held so that you and your child can have a look around. It can be overwhelming to be in a brand-new place with lots of noise and stimulation.

3. Visualize yourself responding as the parent you want to be.

As parents, we all have situations where we react without thinking and only afterwards come up with the perfect response. Annoying, isn’t it?! One way to work on this is to use visualization. This means thinking about a situation ahead of time, identifying potential problems, and then imagining that you are responding in a calm, positive way.

4. Consider the timing.

• Find out if programs have certain days or times that are better than others are. If your child does better with outdoor play, go on a day when the pro-gram is outside. If Fridays tend to be really busy, go on a Monday, instead.

• If your child is going through a particularly rough time (e.g., getting sick or dealing with other big changes) it may not be the best time to start some-thing new.

5. Set small goals.

If it works for the group, consider attending for the last half an hour, rather than coming at the begin-ning and trying to stay for the whole time. That way, your child gets to finish with everyone else, rather than leaving in the middle if things aren’t going well.

If things don’t go well, that’s okay—give yourself and your child a pat on the back for getting out there and trying something new!

Michelle Guthrie, Coordinator, Comox Valley Early Years Centres project

I t’s frustrating when you make an effort to try something new and

it doesn’t go well—you may be tempted to avoid groups alto-gether. Before you do that, how-ever, consider this:

Every parent I mentioned this topic to shared a story about something their child had done at a group.

It may not help in the moment, but we’ve all been there!

If you’re hesitant about going back to a playgroup or going for the first time, here are some tips for mak-ing it easier for you and your child.

1. Talk to a program staff person beforehand.

You can bring up your concerns and work on a plan together. It’s also nice to have ideas from someone who has seen a wide variety of behaviour and is knowledgeable about different developmental stages. (If you are meeting in person to talk about

At bedtime, instead of reading a book, tell your

child a funny story about adventures or things

you did with your friends when you were little.

“Master Builder” at

Hemlock Family Place

Volume 3, Issue 3 Page 11 C.R. Families Fall 2015

W hat do I do when my child has a playdate at our house,

and the other child’s behaviour is not acceptable? My child is watch-ing and learning!

When you have other children over visiting your house, it’s totally okay to maintain the house rules and to share those with the other chil-dren and, if necessary, the parents. Having your “house rules” on a poster on the wall can be very helpful, and you can even suggest that your child show the visiting child the House Rules poster. A vis-iting child does not necessarily know what is ex-pected in your house, and the expectations could be very different from what he or she is used to at home. It’s okay to change routine when other chil-dren visit but best to keep the basic rules intact (friendly words, no hitting, etc.). This is important information for the visiting child and also provides consistent and clear limits for your own child. If the house rules are not enough, visiting children may need you to intervene and provide reminders. You will find that many parents of visiting children are grateful for this assertive approach, as all people involved know what is ex-pected. If parents are defensive about the rule expectations at your house, this is more of a parent problem than a child problem and perhaps needs to be dis-cussed as adults at another time.

Do you have a parenting question?

Email your question to crsuccessby6@gmail.com

and our Early Learning Team will best answer it for you. No names will ever be published or shared.

FETCH (For Everything that is Community Heath) is live! FETCH is a website that provides valuable infor-mation for families and service providers in a user-friendly format. Information on resources and ser-vices for health, income support, First Nations, fam-ily life, education, youth, and more can be found on this site.

To access FETCH go to: www.campbellriver.fetchbc.ca

The Campbell River and District Division of Family Prac-tice (www.divisionsbc.ca/campbellriverdistrict/home) is a group of 56 family doctors who are committed to working with the community to better meet the health needs of residents. FETCH is one of the projects undertaken by the Division as part of A GP for Me, a provincial initiative jointly funded by the Government of BC and Doctors of BC. A GP for Me aims to strengthen the health care system by supporting the relationship between patients and family doctors and building capacity in the local primary care sys-tem. Additional support for FETCH was provided by the John Howard Society North Island, which supplied the Community Service Directory for the content for FETCH.

A Parenting Question FETCH Is Live!

At bedtime, instead of reading a

book, share stories or legends you

heard from your parents, grandpar-

ents, and other relatives.

Talk about the things you admire

about your family and community.

Copies And Thanks!

P lease connect with us if you would like copies of C.R. Families to give out at

your business, reception area, or waiting room. Email: crsuccessby6@gmail.com.

A BIG THANK YOU to all who contributed to and helped sponsor our Fall 2015 edition of C.R. Families.

Special thanks to our awesome young artists:

Coen, artwork, Page 4 Willow, art with poem, Page 4 Johnus, art with story, Page 4

Hunter, artwork, Page 6

And always, a very special thank you to our newsletter coordinator, Cheryl Jordan.

Happy Fall Everyone!

What Am I ?

What kind of story would you write about me? A funny story? A sad story? A scary story? A happy story? Send us your story!

A Fall 2015 C.R. Families Production The Campbell River Family Network Newsletter!

All-Weather Family Place Is Back! F amilies will be gathering again this fall to enjoy the wonders of spending time together outside,

feeding the pigeons, exploring the beach, blowing bubbles, calling Sydney the Swan, counting slugs, climbing on the playground, watching the helicop-ters, and generally exploring the natural world of the Spit.

Research confirms that time outside offers very powerful boosts to child development and general human health.

Dig out a rain coat, and come and have fun with Family Place on Thursdays at 1:15 PM until about 2:30 PM from September 10 to November 26, 2015.

Painting Left: Max Binger captured a moment at

All-Weather Family Place on Tyee Spit, Summer 2015.

FEARS

It is normal for toddlers and preschoolers to develop fears from time to time.

Fears can be real or imaginary. Some com-mon fears at this age include animals, in-sects, the dark, doctor/dentist visits, heights, robbers, storms, and imaginary dangers.

You can help by giving reassurance with-out acting overly concerned, providing information to help your child develop understanding, encouraging your child to talk about fears, and helping your child remember previous times he or she over-came fears.

Don’t dismiss fears (don’t be silly, there is nothing to be afraid of) or try to talk your child out of them. Instead, support your child in learning how to cope with fears, and allow your child time to gradually let go of the fear.

November 20, 2015

National Child Day Celebration

at the Community Centre!

(Toonie Swim and Skate

at Strathcona Gardens.)