GRAND Vol. III Ed. II
Victoria, Vancouver Island grandparent magazine
Victoria, Vancouver Island grandparent magazine
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<strong>Vol</strong>. <strong><strong>II</strong>I</strong>, <strong>Ed</strong>. <strong>II</strong><br />
<strong>GRAND</strong><br />
grandmag.ca<br />
Grandparenting<br />
from Afar<br />
Gordy Dodd<br />
Grandfather &<br />
Community<br />
Superhero<br />
Shots in a Snap<br />
Photographing<br />
Your Grandkids
What you should flush is as easy as…<br />
1, 2,<br />
3<br />
Remember the Three Ps<br />
www.crd.bc.ca/noflush<br />
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| 2 <strong>GRAND</strong> grandmag.ca
DODD’S<br />
FURNITURE & MATTRESS<br />
From our family to yours,<br />
Happy Holidays!<br />
Dodd’s delivers great gifts<br />
for everyone on your list.<br />
DODD’S<br />
FURNITURE & MATTRESS<br />
www.doddsfurniture.com<br />
715 Finlayson Street, Victoria<br />
4900 Uplands Drive, Nanaimo<br />
825 – 12th Avenue, Campbell River<br />
#DecorateWithDodds<br />
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4 <strong>GRAND</strong> grandmag.ca
A <strong>GRAND</strong> Debut<br />
CONTENTS<br />
5<br />
6<br />
8<br />
10<br />
12<br />
14<br />
16<br />
18<br />
20<br />
22<br />
24<br />
26<br />
A <strong>GRAND</strong> Debut<br />
Profile: Gordy Dodd<br />
7 Grand: Ideas + Inspiration<br />
Shots in a Snap:<br />
Photographing Your Grandkids<br />
His Story, Her Story, Our Story<br />
Toys That Do Nothing<br />
A Grandparent’s Guide<br />
to Sex <strong>Ed</strong><br />
Grandparenting from Afar<br />
4 Ways to Invest in Your<br />
Grandchildren’s Future<br />
Sharing Through Cooking<br />
Inspire a Love of Reading<br />
Face Your Fears &<br />
Embrace the Cloud<br />
Just like grandparenting over the<br />
years, Grand has changed.<br />
This issue marks the start of a<br />
new look, a new feel, and a new direction.<br />
And just like grandparents these<br />
days, Grand is redefining itself on its<br />
own terms.<br />
Gone are the days of rocking<br />
chairs and recliners. Today’s grandparents<br />
are more likely to be rock<br />
climbing or going for a run than they<br />
are to be rocking or reclining.<br />
We’re an active and diverse group—<br />
an engaged, evolving and powerful<br />
force. We’re mentors, nurturers, keepers<br />
of secrets. We’re caregivers, child<br />
care providers, dessert-before-dinner<br />
defenders. We’re historians, spiritual<br />
guides and the holders of family stories.<br />
Grand celebrates who you are as a<br />
grandparent and who you are as an individual.<br />
You love spending time with<br />
your grandchildren and you’re happy<br />
in your other roles: at work, in the<br />
community and on your own. Grand<br />
acknowledges that you are not one<br />
or the other—an “either/or” version<br />
of yourself—you are many different<br />
things to many different people. And<br />
to yourself.<br />
With an Island perspective that<br />
speaks to an international readership,<br />
Grand is the source for on-the-go<br />
grandparents of up-to-the-minute<br />
and thought-provoking information<br />
and ideas—on everything from having<br />
fun, staying fit and things to do, to<br />
travel, leisure, health and technology.<br />
Think of Grand as a trusted friend<br />
who happily shares those “senior<br />
moments” (in the best sense of the<br />
words!) and keeps you informed and<br />
connected to the issues and ideas that<br />
really matter. After reading an issue of<br />
Grand, you should feel inspired, up-todate,<br />
and informed.<br />
We’re here for you: from helping you<br />
figure out where you fit in to tackling<br />
your most perplexing questions, sharing<br />
your greatest discoveries and celebrating<br />
your deepest joys.<br />
To that end, this issue of Grand<br />
features articles on topics ranging<br />
from the importance of storytelling,<br />
cooking with your grandkids and<br />
community superheroes, to photographing<br />
your grandkids, gift-giving,<br />
and grandparenting from afar. There’s<br />
7 Grand, a compilation of ideas and<br />
inspiration to help keep you in-theknow<br />
and connected, there’s a guide<br />
to investing in your grandchildren’s<br />
future, and there’s tech support that<br />
will help you face your fears and embrace<br />
the cloud.<br />
Grand is as diverse and engaged as<br />
you are. Together, we’re a powerful<br />
and positive force—in our grandchildren’s<br />
lives and in our communities.<br />
A Grand welcome!<br />
ON THE COVER<br />
Gordy + Ravinder Dodd,<br />
with granddaughters<br />
(left to right) Avani,<br />
Zahra and Amara<br />
Photo by Don Denton<br />
<strong>Vol</strong> 1, <strong>Ed</strong> 2<br />
<strong>GRAND</strong><br />
grandmag.ca<br />
Gordy Dodd<br />
Grandfather &<br />
Community<br />
Superhero<br />
Grandparenting<br />
from Afar<br />
Shots in a Snap<br />
Photographing<br />
Your Grandkids<br />
Jim Schneider Publisher<br />
publisher@islandparent.ca<br />
Sue Fast <strong>Ed</strong>itor<br />
editor@islandparent.ca<br />
Kristine Wickheim Account Manager<br />
kristine@islandparent.ca<br />
RaeLeigh Buchanan Account Manager<br />
raeleigh@islandparent.ca<br />
Grand, published by Island Parent Group Enterprises Ltd., is a twice-yearly<br />
publication that honours and supports grandparents by providing information<br />
on resources and businesses for families and a forum for the exchange of ideas<br />
and opinions. Views expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher.<br />
No material herein may be reproduced without the permission of the publisher.<br />
Grand is distributed free in selected areas. Annual mail subscriptions<br />
(2 issues) are available for $12 (GST included). Canadian Publication<br />
Mail Product Sales Agreement 40051398. ISSN 0838-5505.<br />
250-388-6905 grandmag.ca<br />
A proud member of<br />
BC<br />
grandmag.ca<br />
<strong>Vol</strong>. <strong><strong>II</strong>I</strong>, <strong>Ed</strong>. <strong>II</strong> 5
ordy Dodd<br />
<strong>GRAND</strong>FATHER<br />
&<br />
Community Superhero<br />
Gordy Dodd isn’t your typical grandfather. Who else do you know that’s just as<br />
comfortable playing Super Gordy, Bob Barker and the Incredible Hulk as part<br />
of his 40-year TV ad campaign as he is playing with his grandchildren?<br />
Awarded the 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award by the Greater Victoria<br />
Chamber of Commerce, Gordy Dodd is known not only for his TV alter egos<br />
and his furniture store, Dodd’s Furniture and Mattress, but also for his<br />
ongoing philanthropy and community work. His Peace Walks have raised<br />
money for Victoria Hospice and his annual Thanksgiving and Christmas<br />
Dinners have helped feed thousands of people in need. Here are his thoughts<br />
on one of his favourite roles of all times—being a grandfather...<br />
What do you love most about being a grandfather?<br />
I take time off from my business to spend as much time as I can with them.<br />
They’re going to school now and growing up so fast—so weekends are special.<br />
We also try to pick them up from school a few times a week. Sometimes we go to<br />
a restaurant, for ice cream or to one of their favourite parks nearby.<br />
What’s the difference between being a parent and being<br />
a grandparent?<br />
Parents definitely have the harder job these days with many more responsibilities.<br />
Between homework and so many other after-school activities, a child’s life<br />
is quite structured. Moms and Dads really have the hard work. Grandparents get<br />
to enjoy watching them grow up and play—we play ALOT! That’s the upside and<br />
there’s no real downside. We’re all just happy to see each other and be together.<br />
How does it feel, seeing your children as parents?<br />
We remember our kids at that time. My wife will say how they resemble each<br />
other—our children and our grandchildren—how my son used to do the same<br />
thing or how our grandchildren resemble their parents.<br />
6 <strong>GRAND</strong> grandmag.ca
What are your favourite things to do with your grandkids?<br />
I love setting up games for them in the backyard. Whether it’s volleyball, badminton<br />
or soccer or blowing up balloons. It’s really nice, for myself and my wife.<br />
We forget all the stress and just get to spend time with them.<br />
How have you handled the pandemic and social distancing with<br />
your grandchildren?<br />
It’s a concern, especially now that they’re back in school. But we keep reminding<br />
them to keep their distance, wear a mask and wash their hands. All of Dr.<br />
Bonnie’s advice is good advice of course.<br />
What do you wish for your grandchildren?<br />
I wish for them much happiness. They always say: Grampa everyone knows<br />
you! All of our friends say: “You’re the famous Gordy Dodd!” Now they don’t<br />
have to be like me, but I want them to be happy and successful.<br />
What do you hope they have<br />
learned or will learn from you?<br />
I hope they’ll always be proud to be<br />
my granddaughters and strive to do<br />
great things in their life as I have. They<br />
have their dreams and they’re already<br />
learning to give back. I’m proud to take<br />
them with me to help serve Thanksgiving<br />
and Christmas dinners at Our Place.<br />
They need to know that not everyone is<br />
as fortunate as we are. We all have to do<br />
our part to help those in need.<br />
You’ve dressed up as so many<br />
characters What do your grandkids<br />
think of your antics? Do they<br />
have a favourite persona?<br />
Superman is pretty famous in their<br />
eyes. They’ve enjoyed all of my characters<br />
over the years. They know my name<br />
is recognizable. My grandaughter calls<br />
me my name sometimes, “Gordy Dodd”<br />
just for fun.<br />
Advice for your grandchildren?<br />
Times are tough and it’s easy to get<br />
down. The only way to make things better<br />
is by getting a good education. My<br />
middle granddaughter wants to be an<br />
eye specialist—the first in our family. That goal may change but with the right<br />
education, kids can do anything. Do something to keep the tradition of helping<br />
others. They’re trying.<br />
Ravinder + Gordy Dodd with granddaughters<br />
(l-r) Amara, Zahra + Avani<br />
1Advice for other grandparents?<br />
Love your grandkids and cherish every moment. Once they become teenagers,<br />
they’ll have their own friends and be making their own way into the world. You<br />
want to be part of that for as long as possible.<br />
grandmag.ca<br />
<strong>Vol</strong>. <strong><strong>II</strong>I</strong>, <strong>Ed</strong>. <strong>II</strong> 7
Ideas + Inspiration<br />
7<br />
Grand<br />
Calling<br />
All Bakers<br />
Do you like to bake? Would you<br />
like to meet with others who<br />
enjoy baking and try new recipes<br />
every month? Then join<br />
Vancouver Island Regional<br />
Libraries’ Virtual Baking Club.<br />
Each month will have a theme<br />
to inspire you to make different<br />
baked goods. Try a new recipe<br />
or make one of your favourites<br />
and then join the Zoom session<br />
at the end of the month to<br />
share the recipe and what you<br />
made with everyone else.<br />
November’s theme: No Butter<br />
Recipes.<br />
December’s theme: Holiday<br />
Treats.<br />
All ages are welcome. Space<br />
is limited and registration<br />
is required. To register or<br />
for more information, email<br />
kparker@virl.bc.ca.<br />
Self-Management<br />
BC<br />
Self-Management BC offers free<br />
health programs for British Columbians<br />
online, by telephone,<br />
and by mail. The programs are<br />
for adults of all ages living with<br />
one or more ongoing health<br />
conditions and there is no cost<br />
to participate. The University of<br />
Victoria’s Institute on Aging &<br />
Lifelong Health aims to help improve<br />
the health and quality of<br />
life with an increasingly diverse<br />
population of older adults, and<br />
to assist their families, health<br />
care providers, and governments<br />
in meeting the challenges<br />
and potentials of an aging<br />
society. For information, visit<br />
selfmanagementbc.ca.<br />
3 Have-to-Haves for<br />
Techie Grandparents<br />
1. Aura by Carver Digital<br />
Frames. See the people you<br />
love—on rotation!—and invite<br />
them to add photos, too. Smart<br />
digital frames provide crisp details,<br />
full light, and great quality.<br />
With social distancing, photos<br />
are the next best thing to being<br />
together.<br />
2. Apple iPhone SE. Sure<br />
most iPhones are notoriously<br />
complicated, but the SE has<br />
basics including email, texting,<br />
video chatting and watching<br />
videos. The camera is excellent<br />
and includes portrait lighting.<br />
3. Muse S Brain Sensing<br />
Headband. Stressed Out? This<br />
soft band meditation device is<br />
easy to put on and the app is<br />
easy to install. Together they<br />
help to calm your mind and help<br />
you relax.<br />
8 <strong>GRAND</strong> grandmag.ca
Read ‘A Story<br />
Before Bed’<br />
5 Styles of<br />
Grandparenting<br />
Babysitting the<br />
Grandparents<br />
FYI Grandparenting<br />
Stats<br />
A Story Before Bed lets you record<br />
a video of yourself reading<br />
a children’s book to be played<br />
back any time. Some grandparents<br />
want to be able to read<br />
books to their grandkids live. A<br />
Story Before Bed lets you read<br />
in realtime, too, using a Google+<br />
Hangout. Grandkids in multiple<br />
cities? You can read to all of<br />
them at once using the app.<br />
And it’s completely free.<br />
astorybeforebed.com<br />
According to research conducted<br />
by two University of Chicago<br />
social scientists, there are five<br />
distinct styles of grandparenting.<br />
The Formal provide special<br />
treats and indulgences for the<br />
grandchild, but they maintain<br />
clearly defined lines between<br />
“parenting” and “grandparenting.”<br />
The Fun Seeker plays with<br />
the child and has a good time. The<br />
relationship is one in which “authority<br />
lines are irrelevant.”<br />
The Surrogate Parent is<br />
found only among grandmothers,<br />
“when the young mother works<br />
and the grandmother assumes<br />
the actual responsibility for the<br />
child.”<br />
The Reservoir of Family<br />
Wisdom. The grandfather who<br />
dispenses “special skills or resources.”<br />
The young parents are<br />
usually in a “subordinate position”—which<br />
they may or may not<br />
resent.<br />
The Distant Figure. The<br />
grandparent who “emerges from<br />
the shadows on holidays and special<br />
ritual occasions” like “a somewhat<br />
intermittent St. Nicholas.”<br />
Source: New York Times<br />
Two of Jean Reagan and Lee<br />
Wildish’s bestselling books are<br />
available in one adorable boxed<br />
set. From making a pirate cave<br />
fit for a Grandpa, to planning a<br />
sleepover with Grandma, each<br />
book is chock full of tongue-incheek<br />
tips and ideas for enjoying<br />
time with the grandparent<br />
in your life.<br />
• The average age of Canadian<br />
grandparents has jumped from<br />
65 to 68 in a single generation.<br />
And the number of grandparents<br />
over 85 has nearly tripled since<br />
1995.<br />
• Life expectancy has increased<br />
so much that an<br />
average 65-year-old today can<br />
expect to live 22.1 more years if<br />
she’s a woman, and 19.3 years if<br />
he’s a man.<br />
• Seniors comprise twice as<br />
big a slice of the work force<br />
today (14 per cent) than they did<br />
in 2003.<br />
• Grandparents have fewer<br />
grandkids (down to four from<br />
five, since the 1990s), and have<br />
them later. But grandparents<br />
get to know their grandkids<br />
(and vice versa) way better, and<br />
for way longer.<br />
Source: Globe & Mail<br />
grandmag.ca<br />
<strong>Vol</strong>. <strong><strong>II</strong>I</strong>, <strong>Ed</strong>. <strong>II</strong> 9
Shots in a Snap<br />
Photographing Your Grandkids<br />
We asked three Island photographers—<br />
Ashley Marston, Erin Wallis and<br />
Kimberley Kufaas—for tips on how to best<br />
“capture your kids.” Here are their answers…<br />
Get lots of photos together. Is grandpa sitting<br />
at the table playing cards with his grandson?<br />
Grab the camera! Is gramma reading a bedtime<br />
story? Grab the camera! You will never regret<br />
having photos with your grandkids. And they<br />
will be some of the kids’ most treasured<br />
photographs. – AM<br />
Get down to their level. If they are playing<br />
cars, or crawling down the hallway, make sure<br />
you are down there too. Not only will they think<br />
its so fun that you are right there with them,<br />
but it will likely also get you a few good smiles<br />
so be ready. – AM<br />
To see more photos from<br />
each of the featured<br />
photographers, visit<br />
Kimberley Kufaas<br />
(kimberleykufaas.com),<br />
Ashley Marston<br />
(ashleymarstonbirthphotography.com)<br />
and Erin Wallis<br />
(erinwallis.com).<br />
Find an environment the kids love, whether it’s a forest walk, baking<br />
cookies, you name it. Finding a comfortable area for them creates those<br />
moments where you can follow their lead.<br />
Get to their level and think about your surrounding and most importantly<br />
the lighting. I use natural light 90 per cent of the time. If you’re indoors make<br />
sure that light source is nearby. If you’re outdoors just watch for the sun to<br />
be behind or directly in front of your subject(s). They don’t always need to<br />
know you’re planning on taking a photo. – KK<br />
10 <strong>GRAND</strong> grandmag.ca
“<br />
Everyday life with kids is typically chaotic. Adding a camera to the mix to capture<br />
memories of your visit sometimes takes some patience and extra bribery. That’s<br />
not always what it’s about to get the perfect photo. It’s not just about smiles.<br />
My take on photography is capturing moments that are actually happening at<br />
”<br />
that time. I do prompt some posing, but usually some silliness and being playful<br />
I can get the kids working well with me.<br />
– KK<br />
Take it outside! Head to a field or a beach without a lot of people<br />
or distracting elements. Take a stroll along a trail and snap a few<br />
images as they are walking towards or away from you. Make a game<br />
of it—if it’s fun, your results are guaranteed to be better! – EW<br />
Take them outside to an evenly lit spot.<br />
Avoid harsh, bright sunshine or super dark spots.<br />
If you’re using your phone to take their photo,<br />
remember you can touch the brightest or darkest<br />
part of the screen to lighten/darken the image<br />
properly. – EW<br />
Don’t make taking their photo a chore.<br />
Have your camera out and handy when<br />
they are having fun or when they are in<br />
the moment. Don’t fight them to get the<br />
perfect shot. – EW<br />
Remove busy or unnecessary elements<br />
—any cords, garbage or clutter. Better yet,<br />
take them to a place they don’t usually get<br />
to play (or, as above, sleep) in: Your freshly<br />
made bed! – EW<br />
grandmag.ca<br />
<strong>Vol</strong>. <strong><strong>II</strong>I</strong>, <strong>Ed</strong>. <strong>II</strong> 11
Family Stories<br />
The Importance of Storytelling<br />
His Story, Her Story, Our Story<br />
Rachel Dunstan Muller is a<br />
grandmother of three, a children’s<br />
author, and a professional storyteller<br />
to audiences of all ages. You can<br />
learn more about her work at<br />
racheldunstanmuller.com.<br />
“<br />
Tell me a story, Grandma,” says<br />
five-year-old Kieran, as he pulls<br />
up his chair in front of me. It’s summer,<br />
and we’re taking advantage of<br />
relaxed COVID restrictions to camp<br />
together.<br />
“What kind of story?” I ask.<br />
“A new one!” says Kieran.<br />
I think for a moment, then launch<br />
into an improvised tale about a boy<br />
who wants to be a squirrel.<br />
All three of my young grandchildren<br />
love stories and I love telling<br />
them, so it’s a match made in heaven.<br />
As it turns out, the role of grandparents<br />
as storytellers is as old as language—and<br />
continues to be important<br />
even in these media-saturated times.<br />
A good story isn’t just entertaining;<br />
it’s a shared experience between teller<br />
and listener, an opportunity to give<br />
each other undivided attention. The<br />
stories themselves may pass on values<br />
or information, or offer glimpses into<br />
our collective cultural heritage. Storytelling<br />
is certainly more challenging<br />
when distance or COVID restrictions<br />
prevent us from being together in person,<br />
but with a little creativity, we can<br />
still keep this tradition alive.<br />
Family History<br />
Grandparents are often the unofficial<br />
historians of their families—a<br />
most important role. In a 2001 study<br />
by Drs. Marshall Duke and Robyn<br />
Fivush, children who knew the most<br />
about their family histories scored<br />
the highest on tests for self-esteem,<br />
resilience, and social and academic<br />
competence. The researchers concluded<br />
that the family stories they’d<br />
heard had given these children a sense<br />
of security and rootedness, and taught<br />
them that they belonged to something<br />
bigger than themselves. They’d<br />
learned that setbacks and obstacles<br />
were part of life, but that they could<br />
be overcome.<br />
Since we carry them around in<br />
our memories already, family stories<br />
are often the easiest to tell. Young<br />
kids love to hear about the humorous<br />
misadventures of their parents and<br />
grandparents when they were young,<br />
while older kids may be interested in<br />
the more serious trials and triumphs<br />
we’ve experienced, as well as those of<br />
more distant ancestors.<br />
Fictional Stories<br />
There’s a wealth of fictional stories<br />
worth sharing as well, stretching from<br />
the present back to mythic times. As<br />
I write this the library can only be<br />
accessed remotely, but the library’s<br />
online catalogue is still a great place to<br />
search for and request wonderful materials,<br />
from the world’s great myths,<br />
to collections of folk and fairy tales, to<br />
contemporary picture books that can<br />
be either read-aloud or learned and<br />
shared orally. Alternatively, visit fairytalez.com<br />
to browse a collection of<br />
more than 4,000 stories from around<br />
the world.<br />
Made Up Stories<br />
Preparing your own original stories<br />
in advance or making them up on the<br />
spot can be a wonderful creative exercise—and<br />
especially fun if you involve<br />
your grandchild in the story-making<br />
along the way. Depending on their age<br />
and enthusiasm, they can contribute<br />
a name, setting, character or even<br />
significant plot development. Creating<br />
an original story or “customizing” an<br />
12 <strong>GRAND</strong> grandmag.ca
existing one gives you the opportunity<br />
to make story time especially meaningful<br />
to your grandchild.<br />
Tips for Telling<br />
The stories we tell and how we tell<br />
them will be determined in large part<br />
by the age of our grandkids. Young<br />
children have short attention spans<br />
and will be most entertained by very<br />
short stories and rhymes. Interactive<br />
finger plays, felt boards, or puppets<br />
can help keep them focused – and are<br />
especially helpful if you’re sharing<br />
stories remotely via Zoom.<br />
Older preschoolers and primary<br />
students will enjoy longer stories,<br />
especially when they include humour<br />
and/or suspense. To keep kids of any<br />
age engaged, allow your own inner<br />
child to surface by being playful as you<br />
tell, using different voices for different<br />
characters, varying your volume,<br />
and using pauses for dramatic effect.<br />
If you’re able to tell in person, gestures<br />
can add impact.<br />
Storytelling becomes a more informal<br />
process as our grandkids get<br />
older, often evolving into personal<br />
or family stories recounted on hikes,<br />
long car rides, or while engaged in a<br />
shared activity. Even teens aren’t too<br />
old for stories; in fact if anything they<br />
need them even more. As they navigate<br />
the turbulent adolescent years,<br />
our grandkids need to be reassured<br />
that they aren’t alone, that other family<br />
members have taken risks, made<br />
mistakes, and suffered setbacks. Some<br />
family stories will encourage and inspire,<br />
while others may serve as cautionary<br />
tales. All are important.<br />
Learning a Story<br />
Preparing an engaging opening or<br />
first line can be a good way to draw<br />
young listeners in, but the rest should<br />
flow naturally when we’re telling<br />
in-person or on Zoom, allowing us<br />
to be present and spontaneous in the<br />
shared moment. But even if we don’t<br />
memorize every word, keeping track<br />
of a story’s characters and plot developments<br />
can be challenging.<br />
Storyboarding or story mapping can<br />
be an effective way to commit all the<br />
necessary elements to memory. Both<br />
involve recording the story in visual<br />
form, either sketching individual<br />
scenes in sequence on a paper divided<br />
into boxes, or by drawing a rough map<br />
of the story which includes all the key<br />
elements. Stick figures are fine in either<br />
case. This is a mnemonic device,<br />
not an art project!<br />
Recorded Stories<br />
If you can’t be together and Zoom<br />
storytelling doesn’t feel like a good fit,<br />
pre-recorded stories can be a wonderful<br />
way to stay connected. Imagine<br />
your grandchild or grandchildren listening<br />
to your voice as they go to bed<br />
at night! Collect some favourites tales<br />
or write your own, and then record<br />
yourself with an app on your smart<br />
phone or a digital recorder. If you<br />
don’t know how to transfer the recording<br />
to your grandkids, ask someone<br />
more technologically savvy for help.<br />
This can be a wonderful way to collect<br />
and preserve family or personal stories<br />
for posterity as well.<br />
Finally, keep in mind that the most<br />
important element of a good storytelling<br />
session isn’t how polished or prepared<br />
we are, or even the content of the<br />
story. What our grandkids will remember<br />
most is the gift of our presence and<br />
our wholehearted attention.<br />
grandmag.ca<br />
<strong>Vol</strong>. <strong><strong>II</strong>I</strong>, <strong>Ed</strong>. <strong>II</strong> 13
Happy Families,<br />
Healthy Families<br />
Caitlin Bittman is a pediatric<br />
Speech-Language Pathologist<br />
with Island Health.<br />
Toys that Do Nothing<br />
A gift-giving guide for your grandkids<br />
this holiday season<br />
As a pediatric speech-language<br />
pathologist, I frequent toy stores<br />
looking for the next amazing<br />
toy. As I wander the aisles I often find<br />
myself attracted to brightly-coloured<br />
electronic toys that make lots of noises,<br />
have all sorts of buttons or moving<br />
parts, and serve some ambiguous play<br />
function. If you have ever seen these<br />
toys, I’m sure you’ve also thought to<br />
yourself, “I wonder what this one<br />
does” as you look over the pictures on<br />
the box.<br />
It’s so easy to get drawn in by these<br />
flashy and visually stimulating toys!<br />
They are, after all, designed to achieve<br />
this purpose. When choosing a toy for<br />
your grandchild, it’s natural to pick<br />
a flashy toy you think will get a big<br />
and excited reaction from your child,<br />
which is often a ‘busy’ electronic toy.<br />
However I have a different suggestion—get<br />
your loved one a toy that<br />
does nothing.<br />
I know this sounds underwhelming,<br />
but allow me to explain!<br />
Simply put, my definition of a toy<br />
that does nothing is one that has no<br />
batteries and that easily allows for<br />
interactive and/or pretend play. This<br />
may sound boring, but it’s these kinds<br />
of toys that allow for the most creative<br />
and active play. After all, if the toy<br />
does nothing, then the child must do<br />
everything!<br />
Generally speaking “toys that do<br />
nothing” end up being more traditional<br />
toys, such as simple farm sets,<br />
dollhouses, play kitchens, blocks, or<br />
puppets. Combined with a willing play<br />
partner, these traditional toys support<br />
responsive interactions that help build<br />
children’s language, communication,<br />
and play skills.<br />
Think about the last time someone<br />
tried to talk to you while you were<br />
watching your favourite TV show or<br />
movie. Did it take several attempts<br />
before you noticed the other person?<br />
If they launched into a conversation<br />
(like my partner does!), did you catch<br />
everything that they said or did you<br />
need them to repeat themselves? Did<br />
you feel a little annoyed that someone<br />
was interrupting you? Do you think<br />
it would be easy to have an extended<br />
or meaningful conversation while the<br />
show was still playing?<br />
When we are absorbed in something<br />
that is both motivating and extremely<br />
stimulating, it can be difficult to share<br />
our attention. It’s the same with our<br />
grandkids playing with many of these<br />
“busy” toys! All the lights, sounds, and<br />
moving parts are appealing and are<br />
great at getting children’s attention,<br />
but they can also be attention hoarders,<br />
monopolizing the child’s attention<br />
and making it difficult for them to notice<br />
you in play.<br />
14 <strong>GRAND</strong> grandmag.ca
Have you ever noticed how quiet<br />
children get when they become absorbed<br />
in high-tech toys? Likely that<br />
is because they are tuning out everything<br />
around them. To many, this may<br />
not feel like a big deal. After all, don’t<br />
we want our children to enjoy the toys<br />
we give them? All children should be<br />
able and expected to play on their own<br />
sometimes; however it is important<br />
to recognize all the benefits that come<br />
from active play with another person.<br />
Research shows us how important<br />
quality interactions are between caregivers<br />
and children in supporting language<br />
development. When children<br />
engage in back-and-forth conversations<br />
with adults, they receive good<br />
language models and also have the<br />
opportunity to practice what they’ve<br />
learned and receive natural feedback<br />
as a part of the conversation.<br />
Recent research shows that engaging<br />
in conversations with young children<br />
works to strengthen the areas in<br />
their brain associated with language.<br />
And one of the best ways to have conversations<br />
with children is to participate<br />
in their play.<br />
Regardless of how a child plays with<br />
a toy, there are many opportunities<br />
for adults to model language and for<br />
children to practice using language<br />
as you talk about what you are doing<br />
together, or perhaps what you plan to<br />
do next. Engaging in conversations<br />
during play is a great opportunity to<br />
link experience to word meanings in<br />
that the children are experiencing<br />
something as it is happening (even if<br />
it is just pretend).<br />
Play is a child’s work. Children learn<br />
about the world and develop all kinds<br />
of skills through play, such as fine and<br />
gross motor skills, personal awareness,<br />
emotional well-being, social<br />
skills, creativity, logic, and problem<br />
solving, to name a few. Play and language<br />
skills develop hand-in-hand,<br />
and each supports the development of<br />
the other.<br />
This is especially true when children<br />
start engaging in pretend play<br />
and role playing. Here, children learn<br />
to use their imaginations, and they<br />
need language to create and enrich<br />
their play when they engage with others.<br />
This includes using language to<br />
decide what they will play, who will<br />
play what role, and what each person<br />
will do as part of their role, as well as<br />
what happens in the “story.”<br />
Language development is most likely<br />
to happen when the toy is not monopolizing<br />
the child’s attention, or if<br />
the toy is doing all the playing by itself<br />
with the child as a passive observer.<br />
Busy toys are not detrimental to<br />
children’s development, but more traditional<br />
toys tend to support interactions<br />
that will have a positive impact<br />
on a child’s development.<br />
When we use toys that “do nothing”<br />
to play with children, adults and<br />
children are more likely to be tunedin<br />
to one another. This sets the foundation<br />
for interactions that include<br />
more conversational turns and more<br />
opportunities to support language<br />
development. When the toy does less,<br />
it’s easier for the child to pay more<br />
attention to you and less attention to<br />
the toy.<br />
It is not the toys that are so important;<br />
it is the interaction and<br />
conversations we have while we play<br />
with those toys that are critical. So it<br />
is important to choose toys that will<br />
not undermine the interaction and<br />
distract children from communicating<br />
with us or engaging with what we say<br />
or how we say it.<br />
If you are thinking about getting<br />
your grandchild something special,<br />
consider the benefits of a toy that does<br />
nothing. Try not to be drawn in by the<br />
toys with all the bells and whistles!<br />
Remember that the flashy, high-tech<br />
toys do not allow much space for<br />
interactions that will support your<br />
child’s development. Find a more<br />
traditional toy that you would enjoy<br />
playing with your grandchild, such as<br />
blocks, role-play/dress-up toys, puppets,<br />
or pretend food. The best toys are<br />
simple and come with a willing and<br />
attentive play partner! I am certain<br />
that the gift that keeps on giving will<br />
be the toy that does nothing.<br />
Healthy Families, Happy Families<br />
Child, Youth<br />
& Family<br />
Public Health<br />
South Island Health Units<br />
Esquimalt 250-519-5311<br />
Gulf Islands 250-539-3099<br />
(toll-free number for office in Saanichton)<br />
Peninsula 250-544-2400<br />
Saanich 250-519-5100<br />
Saltspring Island 250-538-4880<br />
Sooke 250-519-3487<br />
Victoria 250-388-2200<br />
West Shore 250-519-3490<br />
Central Island Health Units<br />
Duncan 250-709-3050<br />
Ladysmith 250-755-3342<br />
Lake Cowichan 250-749-6878<br />
Nanaimo 250-755-3342<br />
Nanaimo 250-739-5845<br />
Princess Royal<br />
Parksville/Qualicum 250-947-8242<br />
Port Alberni 250-731-1315<br />
Tofino 250-725-4020<br />
North Island Health Units<br />
Campbell River 250-850-2110<br />
Courtenay 250-331-8520<br />
Kyuquot Health Ctr 250-332-5289<br />
‘Namgis Health Ctr 250-974-5522<br />
Port Hardy 250-902-6071<br />
islandhealth.ca/our-locations/<br />
health-unit-locations<br />
Changes with BC Medical Services Plan<br />
premiums mean that families eligible for partial<br />
payment of some medical services and access<br />
to some income-based programs now must<br />
apply for Supplementary Benefits through the<br />
Government of BC. Applications can be done<br />
online and take approximately 15 minutes.<br />
Families who previously qualified for MSP<br />
Premium Assistance should not need to re-apply<br />
if taxes are completed yearly. It is advised to<br />
confirm coverage before proceeding with<br />
treatment to avoid paying out of pocket.<br />
For more information, visit gov.bc.ca/gov/<br />
content/health/health-drug-coverage/msp/<br />
bc-residents/benefits/services-covered-bymsp/supplementary-benefits<br />
grandmag.ca<br />
<strong>Vol</strong>. <strong><strong>II</strong>I</strong>, <strong>Ed</strong>. <strong>II</strong> 15
Growth &<br />
Development<br />
Jennifer Gibson, MA, is also known<br />
as “The Sex Lady”—officially now for over<br />
15 years in Greater Victoria!—to the<br />
thousands of amazing youth and adults<br />
she is lucky to educate and learn with<br />
through her job as the Coordinator of<br />
Community <strong>Ed</strong>ucation at Island Sexual<br />
Health. She’s passionate about making<br />
sexuality education as positive, fun<br />
and non-cringe-able as possible.<br />
A Grandparent’s<br />
Guide to Sex <strong>Ed</strong><br />
It comes as no surprise that in the<br />
past few years, as many grandparents<br />
spend more time with their<br />
grandchildren and often in more carecentred<br />
roles, many have started asking<br />
how they can best support their<br />
grandchildren’s sexuality education.<br />
Most commonly, grandparents tell me<br />
that the BIG questions their grandchildren<br />
are comfortable enough to ask,<br />
inspire the grandparents to want to<br />
learn more.<br />
As our society becomes more open,<br />
honest and accepting about healthy<br />
sexuality, grandparents might feel<br />
that they missed opportunities to<br />
speak with their own children while<br />
they were growing up, and they want<br />
to change that with their grandchildren.<br />
Sometimes this openness brings<br />
concern that sexuality conversations<br />
will create more curiosities and confusion<br />
for their grandchildren. I am always<br />
thrilled to squash these concerns<br />
with the fact that global research has<br />
repeatedly demonstrated exactly the<br />
opposite! In fact, when children are<br />
well informed about sexuality, this<br />
information satisfies age-appropriate<br />
curiosities and becomes a protective<br />
factor for their health and safety.<br />
I believe the best way for grandparents<br />
to begin to support the growth<br />
of their grandchildren’s knowledge<br />
is to understand the approaches and<br />
philosophies their parents are using.<br />
Are they using the “all questions are<br />
good” approach and allowing children<br />
to guide their conversations through<br />
questions? Are they sitting down for<br />
more directed chats using books as<br />
teaching tools (a personal favourite<br />
approach that works great for extended<br />
families!)? Or are they utilizing safe<br />
and factual websites such as those at<br />
Amaze.org to provide information?<br />
Knowing the answers to these questions<br />
will help you as grandparents to<br />
understand both the amount of information<br />
your grandchildren have received<br />
and, most importantly, the tone<br />
in which it’s being delivered. You can<br />
then support the information that has<br />
already been offered and best choose<br />
how to grow their knowledge in ways<br />
that respect family approaches.<br />
Grandparents often share with me<br />
that they are surprised (usually pleasantly!)<br />
by the specific language their<br />
grandchildren are using. Understanding<br />
the language which families are<br />
using to describe bodies, identities,<br />
and relationships is an integral piece<br />
for effective education. Sexuality education<br />
begins with simple, intentional<br />
use of scientific language to describe<br />
all areas of the body equally includ-<br />
16 <strong>GRAND</strong> grandmag.ca
ing the genitals. Using these terms<br />
at times when you’re caring for their<br />
personal needs like during bath time<br />
or toilet training situates the language<br />
naturally. If you find that you haven’t<br />
used such specific language often<br />
enough to become comfortable, practice!<br />
Practice using the terms (nipples,<br />
vulva, testicles, nipples…) while you’re<br />
vacuuming.<br />
Using scientific language for all<br />
body parts teaches children that all<br />
parts of them are important and none<br />
are shameful or embarrassing. This<br />
knowledge and practice helps our children<br />
to ask for help, healthcare and/<br />
or support when they need it with less<br />
apprehension and more confidence.<br />
Grandparents are vital to the understanding<br />
and practice of consent.<br />
Children (and adults!) shouldn’t feel<br />
obligated to offer and accept physical<br />
affection. For children to understand<br />
consent, we must allow them to witness<br />
and practice this skillset in their<br />
earliest and most influential personal<br />
relationships—with family. This<br />
means when you’re so full of love for<br />
them that you want to “squish” their<br />
face, you ask them first. Again, this<br />
may be a new practice that takes some<br />
time to feel comfortable and natural.<br />
Rest assured that when your grandchildren<br />
observe (and they are always<br />
watching/listening/absorbing!) a<br />
person being invited to share physical<br />
affection using language as simple as<br />
“Would you like a hug?”, it reminds<br />
them they have a choice and to expect<br />
that their needs and boundaries<br />
will be respected. This will set a solid<br />
course for future relationships they’ll<br />
be in. For the grandparents, this<br />
means accepting their wishes with<br />
grace even if it means missing out on<br />
the face squish.<br />
Whether you’re practicing science<br />
terms like vulva and penis at bath<br />
time, finding an answer to a BIG question,<br />
or asking before you squish their<br />
lovable face, you can be assured that<br />
your support and guidance will serve<br />
them and you well in the future.<br />
Kids Say the<br />
Darndest Things<br />
I cherish the memory of an incident that took place many years<br />
ago when I was the exhausted young mother of a challenging<br />
three-year-old girl and her lively redheaded infant brother.<br />
On this particularly chaotic day, I reached breaking point.<br />
Loudly asserting my need for “just a little peace and quiet,” I popped<br />
the baby into his crib and marched sassy Sarah to her room for quiet<br />
time before collapsing on the couch with a magazine and cup of tea.<br />
A few minutes later Sarah crept out of her room, cradling in her<br />
hands her most precious treasure: a tiny gilded cardboard gift box.<br />
Tiptoeing up to me, she proffered this peace offering.<br />
I opened it to find…nothing. Just an empty box.<br />
“What’s this?” I asked.<br />
Smiling softly, she whispered “It’s a piece of quiet.”<br />
Jacqui Graham<br />
grandmag.ca<br />
<strong>Vol</strong>. <strong><strong>II</strong>I</strong>, <strong>Ed</strong>. <strong>II</strong> 17
Staying<br />
Connected<br />
Grandparenting<br />
from Afar<br />
Susan Gnucci is a local author and a<br />
proud “nonna” to an adorable six-yearold<br />
grandson. She enjoys sharing her<br />
experiences as a first-time grandparent.<br />
As the proud grandmother of a<br />
six-year-old grandson (my older<br />
son’s little boy), I was thrilled recently<br />
to learn that I am to be a grandmother<br />
for a second time, this time<br />
with my younger son and his wife. My<br />
joy with this news, however, was tempered<br />
by a sobering fact—though I live<br />
in the same city as my first grandson,<br />
I live 3,000 kilometers away from my<br />
younger son and his wife.<br />
When my first grandson was born,<br />
it was so easy to be present at his birth<br />
and help out in those early days when<br />
sleep for new parents is such a precious<br />
commodity and home-cooked<br />
meals are much appreciated. And I<br />
was always eager to provide babysitting<br />
at every opportunity.<br />
I’ve been lucky to be able to spend<br />
every occasion with him: birthday<br />
parties, Easter egg hunts, Mother’s<br />
Day picnics, Thanksgiving turkey<br />
dinners, and a host of activities every<br />
Christmas. I realize, however,<br />
that I will only see my second grandson—yes,<br />
it’s another boy!—at best<br />
twice each year because I still work<br />
full-time, and even more daunting,<br />
because the distance separating us is<br />
so great.<br />
I wish my own parents were still<br />
alive so I could commiserate with<br />
them; they lived 600 kilometers away<br />
from my sons as they grew up, and<br />
even though this distance isn’t that<br />
far, we still only saw them twice each<br />
year. For one thing, it was expensive<br />
to get on and off the Island, and flying<br />
a family of four simply wasn’t in our<br />
budget. For another, my parents also<br />
both worked so it wasn’t easy for them<br />
to get away either.<br />
Until now, I didn’t fully appreciate<br />
how difficult it must have been for<br />
them to be so far away from their only<br />
grandsons. I remember we packed as<br />
much as we could into every one of<br />
their visits, making a concerted effort<br />
to enjoy every moment together.<br />
As my sons grew older, my parents<br />
would gift each of them with a crisp<br />
$100 bill on every visit (in lieu of<br />
treating them throughout the year). I<br />
can still picture their eyes, wide with<br />
excitement, as they held their new<br />
fortune. To them, it was a windfall.<br />
I realize I will have to make the<br />
most out of every visit with my new<br />
grandson. What I lack in quantity, I<br />
will have to make up for in quality.<br />
Time together will be such a precious<br />
commodity.<br />
When I was raising my family,<br />
I would phone my parents every<br />
Sunday. My sons rarely came to the<br />
18 <strong>GRAND</strong> grandmag.ca
phone; they were usually too busy<br />
with all their activities or off with<br />
their friends. It was only on special<br />
occasions when they would spend a<br />
fleeting minute or two in conversation<br />
with their grandparents.<br />
Nowadays, modern technology<br />
such as FaceTime, Skype, Snapchat,<br />
Instagram and Facebook will allow<br />
me to play a greater role in my new<br />
grandson’s life. I will still be living at a<br />
distance, but technology will help narrow<br />
the gap.<br />
I hope through the use of such technology,<br />
we can become well acquainted,<br />
so we won’t have to waste valuable<br />
time getting to know one another at<br />
the start of every visit.<br />
And I will prepare myself for those<br />
inevitable late night phone calls,<br />
the same ones I made to my own<br />
mother when my sons had a fever that<br />
wouldn’t break, or a suspicious rash,<br />
or a cough that just wouldn’t settle. I’m<br />
sure I must have driven my parents<br />
crazy with my worries, especially<br />
with my first child. This was back in<br />
the time before the internet; instead<br />
of a wealth of information at our fingertips<br />
with which a person can often<br />
self-diagnose nowadays, we turned<br />
instead to the wisdom and experience<br />
of people like our parents and grandparents.<br />
Even with the resource of<br />
the internet, there’s still nothing like<br />
practical experience, so despite the<br />
time difference, I fully expect to receive<br />
those phone calls, and of course,<br />
texts. I find it interesting that much of<br />
the ‘old-fashioned’ parenting wisdom<br />
provided by our previous generations<br />
now seems to be back in vogue!<br />
No doubt the birth of my second<br />
grandson will be both exciting and<br />
bittersweet. I’ve decided I want to be<br />
the type of grandmother who flies in<br />
for a visit carting treats and bearing<br />
gifts, fully prepared to win over her<br />
grandchild(ren). After all, I won’t have<br />
time to waste!<br />
L I G H T S , S T A G E ,<br />
ACTION!<br />
-<br />
-<br />
Large studio space, small class sizes!<br />
Acting, Film, Improv, Playwriting<br />
and more! Classes for home learners,<br />
after-school and online learners.<br />
250-386-7526 | schooladmin@skam.ca | skam.ca<br />
grandmag.ca<br />
<strong>Vol</strong>. <strong><strong>II</strong>I</strong>, <strong>Ed</strong>. <strong>II</strong> 19
Money &<br />
Finances<br />
4 Ways to Invest in Your<br />
Grandchildren’s Future<br />
The bond between grandparents and grandchildren is special. You get to<br />
share your wisdom and stories with eager listeners and occasionally, you<br />
get to treat them to ice cream before dinner.<br />
If you’re able, you may want to plan to leave a legacy for your grandchildren.<br />
One of the best ways to set them up for a successful<br />
future is to contribute to their<br />
education savings.<br />
Four strategies that can help you<br />
make smart investment choices<br />
for your grandchildren:<br />
1. Coordinate RESP contributions with your<br />
adult children<br />
Registered <strong>Ed</strong>ucation Savings Plans (RE-<br />
SPs) are specifically designed to help parents<br />
and grandparents save for a child’s education.<br />
They offer opportunities for:<br />
• Government matching. Canada <strong>Ed</strong>ucation<br />
Savings Grants (CESGs) match 20 per cent<br />
of your contributions up to a maximum<br />
grant of $500 each year<br />
• Tax-deferred investment growth. No tax<br />
is due until your grandchild starts withdrawing<br />
money to pay for post-secondary<br />
education<br />
A child can be named as a beneficiary on<br />
more than one RESP. However, there is a lifetime<br />
contribution limit of $50,000 per child and this<br />
can get complicated to track across multiple plans.<br />
Find out if your children have opened an RESP for<br />
your grandchildren, and then coordinate your contributions<br />
with theirs.<br />
For more information<br />
visit Manulife<br />
at manulife.ca.<br />
2. Consider giving your adult children the money to<br />
ontribute<br />
Rather than contributing directly to the RESP,<br />
you may want to give your children money so that<br />
they can contribute more to their child’s RESP. This<br />
can protect you from taxes if your grandchild decides not to<br />
pursue post-secondary education.<br />
20 <strong>GRAND</strong> grandmag.ca
3. Complement RESP savings with<br />
your TFSA<br />
Let’s say you plan to contribute<br />
a specific amount to a grandchild’s<br />
education savings—for example,<br />
$30,000—and you have the money<br />
available now. To maximize CESGs (assuming<br />
no one else is contributing on<br />
behalf of your grandchild), you can:<br />
• Contribute $30,000 to your Tax-<br />
Free Savings Account (TFSA), if you<br />
have the contribution room available<br />
• Move $2,500 into the RESP every<br />
year<br />
That way, you’ll benefit from a<br />
TFSA’s tax-free investment growth<br />
while the money is waiting to go into<br />
the RESP. This can make a significant<br />
difference to the amount your grandchild<br />
has available to pay for his or<br />
her education.<br />
4. Top up education savings in your<br />
grandchildren’s TFSA<br />
When your grandchildren are 18,<br />
they can open their own TFSAs. If<br />
their education savings need a topup,<br />
this can be an excellent place to<br />
do it.<br />
Beyond offering tax-free investment<br />
growth, TFSA withdrawals<br />
can be used for any purpose—unlike<br />
RESP savings, which must be used<br />
to help pay for education-related expenses.<br />
That makes them a flexible<br />
source of extra money while your<br />
grandchildren are studying.<br />
What if your grandchildren don’t<br />
need their TFSA money for school?<br />
You’ll be helping them start a lifelong<br />
habit of saving and investing—and<br />
that’s a legacy in itself.<br />
Sign up for a<br />
<strong>GRAND</strong> Digital<br />
Subscription<br />
and you could win a<br />
selection of children’s<br />
books sent to your<br />
grandchild every month<br />
(3-month subscription)<br />
courtesy of<br />
Marmalade Books.<br />
Every month they will receive<br />
recently published books<br />
appropriate to their age.<br />
These books have been<br />
curated by a trusted children’s<br />
bookseller. Marmalade Books<br />
is a monthly book subscription<br />
company located in Victoria<br />
for children aged 0–12.<br />
Subscribe now at<br />
grandmag.ca<br />
grandmag.ca<br />
<strong>Vol</strong>. <strong><strong>II</strong>I</strong>, <strong>Ed</strong>. <strong>II</strong> 21
Cooking with<br />
Grandkids<br />
Sharing Through<br />
Cooking<br />
Emillie Parrish writes from Victoria<br />
and Saturna Island. She is the author<br />
of the Pacific Northwest lifestyle blog:<br />
BerriesAndBarnacles.com.<br />
Though I grew up far from my<br />
grandparents, I was adopted by<br />
an elderly neighbour when I was<br />
eight years old. I would go over to her<br />
house on the weekend and we would<br />
take walks in the nearby woods, looking<br />
for birds. She gave me a set of pastels<br />
so I could sit and draw. But mostly<br />
we cooked together. She started by<br />
teaching me to bake simple things like<br />
cookies and muffins. Then we moved<br />
on to pie crust and simple loaves of<br />
bread.<br />
As the third child in a family of<br />
four children, it was hard to mark my<br />
place between two older brothers and<br />
an adorable younger sister. Baking<br />
became a way to distinguish myself.<br />
I made a lemon meringue pie for my<br />
parents’ anniversary. Cakes for birthdays.<br />
Cookies at Christmas.<br />
My interest in cooking only grew,<br />
and I was subsequently adopted by<br />
several other women with a passion<br />
for cooking. I learned how to can<br />
peaches, salsa and pickles. The best<br />
way to pull dough around the filling<br />
of a homemade peirogi. How to<br />
chop cabbage for borscht. And toast<br />
spices for curry. All of these particular<br />
cooking skills were better learned<br />
in person than from a cookbook or a<br />
YouTube video.<br />
Cooking is not just a process of following<br />
the steps in a recipe. It is an<br />
artform that involves intuition. And<br />
an understanding of how something<br />
should look, smell and feel. For an<br />
experienced cook, that sort of understanding<br />
is second nature. For a child,<br />
it is something that needs to be demonstrated.<br />
Connecting with your grandchildren<br />
through cooking is a special way<br />
to teach them about themselves. Recipes<br />
are a part of your family history<br />
and heritage. So why not invite your<br />
grandchildren into the kitchen!<br />
• Toddlers and preschoolers can<br />
help with measuring and stirring.<br />
They can also use a butter knife to<br />
slice soft foods like mushrooms.<br />
• School-aged kids are ready to<br />
learn how to cook. They love undivided<br />
adult attention and learning<br />
new skills.<br />
• Tweens and teens might be reluctant<br />
to get started, but they really<br />
enjoy the sense of accomplishment<br />
that comes with showing off new<br />
skills and talents. Try to find out what<br />
might interest them, then build on<br />
that. Don’t be surprised if their interests<br />
cause you to also learn some new<br />
cooking skills, like making sushi or<br />
frying donuts.<br />
22 <strong>GRAND</strong> grandmag.ca
Boston<br />
Brown Bread<br />
My parents were both from New York State.<br />
Here is a traditional New England recipe<br />
that my great-grandmother and grandmother<br />
both used to enjoy making.<br />
Boston brown bread is a cross between<br />
a dense loaf of bread and a steamed pudding.<br />
It can be served plain or toasted. We<br />
often eat a slice as a hearty afterschool<br />
snack. However, it’s classically served with<br />
beans and franks for dinner.<br />
The most traditional way to make brown<br />
bread is to steam it in a large coffee can<br />
(6 inches tall and 4 inches wide). However,<br />
I recommend using a glass loaf pan, since<br />
coffee cans may have a plastic liner and<br />
aren’t necessarily designed for reusing in<br />
this way.<br />
Dry Ingredients<br />
½ cup all-purpose flour<br />
½ cup rye flour<br />
½ cup finely ground corn meal<br />
½ teaspoon baking powder<br />
½ teaspoon baking soda<br />
¼ teaspoon salt<br />
Wet Ingredients<br />
½ cup molasses<br />
1 cup buttermilk<br />
¼ cup raisins<br />
1. Start by preparing the steamer. Either<br />
use a large pot on the stove that will fit a<br />
loaf pan, or use a slow cooker. The loaf pan<br />
can sit on the bottom of the slow cooker.<br />
However, if you are using a pot on the<br />
stove, then you need a metal rack to keep<br />
the loaf pan off the bottom of the pot.<br />
2. Grease the loaf pan with butter.<br />
3. Bring a large kettle of water up to boil<br />
while you prepare the batter.<br />
4. Mix the dry ingredients in a small<br />
bowl. Then mix the wet ingredients in a<br />
larger bowl. Pour the wet ingredients into<br />
the dry ingredients and stir to combine.<br />
5. Pour the batter into the loaf pan.<br />
Make sure the batter doesn’t fill more than<br />
two thirds of the way up the sides of the<br />
pan. Cover the loaf pan tightly with tin foil.<br />
6. Place the loaf pan in the slow cooker<br />
or large pot. Add enough boiling water to<br />
come 1/3 of the way up the side of the loaf<br />
pan. Bring the water up to a gentle boil,<br />
then steam for 45–60 minutes. If you’re<br />
using a slow cooker, set the temperature<br />
on high and cook for 2–3 hours. The brown<br />
bread is ready when a toothpick inserted<br />
in the middle comes out clean.<br />
7. Let stand for 10 minutes before removing<br />
from the loaf pan.<br />
Enjoy!<br />
BUILD A<br />
LEGACY<br />
AND HELP<br />
TRANSFORM<br />
LIVES<br />
Consider giving a lasting gift to<br />
help local families build a strong<br />
foundation for a brighter future.<br />
For more information, contact<br />
giving@habitatvictoria.com<br />
250.480.7688 ext.103<br />
habitatvictoria.com<br />
grandmag.ca<br />
<strong>Vol</strong>. <strong><strong>II</strong>I</strong>, <strong>Ed</strong>. <strong>II</strong> 23
Books &<br />
Literacy<br />
Inspire a Love<br />
of Reading<br />
The Greater Victoria Public Library<br />
has put together programs<br />
and suggested activities you can<br />
undertake with your grandchildren to<br />
help develop a special bond and set up<br />
the kids in your life for a love of reading<br />
and learning. Programs and services<br />
offered by GVPL have changed<br />
during the COVID 19 pandemic, however<br />
there are still many ways to enjoy<br />
the magic of learning together.<br />
Don’t have a library card? Get one in<br />
two minutes at gvpl.ca/get-a-librarycard/<br />
and start reading, watching,<br />
playing, listening and learning right<br />
away.<br />
Programs<br />
While there is currently a pause<br />
in programs that happen inside the<br />
library, outside offerings include<br />
monthly COVID-friendly StoryWalks.<br />
Details at gvpl.ca/gvpl-programs<br />
Once Upon a StoryWalk<br />
Join us for a StoryWalk ® , where individual<br />
pages of a storybook, mounted<br />
on sign posts, are placed outdoors in a<br />
circuit. Children follow the narrative<br />
by visiting each sign post in sequence.<br />
Rain or shine; please dress appropriately.<br />
Check-out gvpl.ca for upcoming<br />
dates. Everyone welcome; children<br />
must be accompanied by an adult.<br />
Or set up one of GVPL’s StoryWalk ®<br />
kits in your own backyard. Pages<br />
from a picture book are placed around<br />
the yard in a circuit. Kids and adults<br />
go from page to page in sequence,<br />
reading the book and discussing<br />
characters, illustrations, themes and<br />
vocabulary. To find out more, visit<br />
gvpl.ca/storywalk.<br />
At Home<br />
Pop into a library branch to access a<br />
small browsing collection or visit gvpl.<br />
ca to put some of your favourite titles<br />
on hold and then bring them home to<br />
your favourite comfy reading spot.<br />
Share books you remember from your<br />
childhood. Tell your grandchild why<br />
you loved each book, what you remember<br />
about it and why you wanted<br />
to share it with them.<br />
Go Digital<br />
Find a wealth of ebooks, audiobooks,<br />
magazines, streaming video and games<br />
for children (and all ages) at gvpl.ca/<br />
digital. Highlights include Biblioenfants,<br />
an online resource where you<br />
can find children’s read-along books in<br />
French. Check out Mango Languages<br />
for an opportunity to learn a new language<br />
with your grandkids.<br />
Find the Best of the Best Picture<br />
Books on a featured list on Cloudlibrary;<br />
you’re sure to find some old<br />
24 <strong>GRAND</strong> grandmag.ca
favourites and some new ones too! For<br />
children’s downloadable audiobooks<br />
and streaming TV shows check out<br />
Hoopla. And for ebooks for all ages,<br />
animated picture books, games for<br />
kids and more visit Tumblebooks.<br />
Grandparents who need assistance<br />
with any of GVPL’s digital platforms<br />
can visit gvpl.ca/help for helpful<br />
Niche Academy tutorials.<br />
Special Items to Borrow<br />
Grandparents can borrow a Climate<br />
Action To-Go Kit to explore ways of<br />
being energy efficient at home—try<br />
out a thermal leak detector, a kill-awatt<br />
meter, or a pedometer.<br />
Looking for something fun and creative<br />
to do together, borrow an easel<br />
and head outdoors for some fun painting<br />
or drawing together or check out<br />
a Puppets to Go Box and put on your<br />
own puppet show.<br />
Get down and play with a Skill<br />
Builders Adaptive Toy kit that include<br />
tools and toys to help children aged 3<br />
and up develop essential skills—fine<br />
and gross motor, language, hand-eye<br />
coordination, focus and sensory processing.<br />
Stories to Go<br />
It’s storytime in a box. GVPL’s Stories<br />
to Go boxes are a resource for<br />
families, caregivers and early childhood<br />
educators to use with young children.<br />
These theme boxes, available for<br />
toddlers or preschoolers, have been<br />
designed to meet a variety of interests<br />
while helping to develop early literacy<br />
skills. Kits include books, music CDs,<br />
a rhyme booklet and puppets and include<br />
selections in Arabic, Chinese,<br />
French, German, Italian and Spanish.<br />
Books to Go<br />
Is there a Lego lover in your family?<br />
How about a fairy fanatic? An adventurous<br />
astronaut? The Kids Books to<br />
Go Bags contain 10 books on one topic<br />
to immerse your child in an engaging<br />
learning experience. From dragons<br />
and dinosaurs to princesses and pirates,<br />
the mix of non-fiction and fiction<br />
titles will appeal to kids ages five<br />
to 10 years old. Pick up a bag of books<br />
on variety of topics that are already<br />
selected and ready to go by searching<br />
for Books to Go—Children’s.<br />
Readers to Go<br />
Readers to Go provide kids learning<br />
to read in English or French with a<br />
variety of books suited to their reading<br />
development. Each bag contains<br />
an assortment of short books with<br />
controlled vocabulary and related illustrations,<br />
plus information on how<br />
you can support children learning to<br />
read.<br />
Family Picks to Go<br />
With a Family Picks to Go kit, you<br />
can dig deeper into a topic with your<br />
grandchild. Choose a light-hearted kit<br />
like camping, coding or gardening;<br />
or one for more serious times, such<br />
as coping with the death of a family<br />
member or learning about Truth and<br />
Reconciliation. Or, choose something<br />
in between like getting ready for kindergarten<br />
or learning about puberty.<br />
These kits are based on requests from<br />
library patrons about what they’d like<br />
to see. Each kit contains seven books,<br />
making it easy for a grandparent to<br />
thoroughly explore a topic with their<br />
grandchildren.<br />
For Greater Victoria Public Library’s<br />
complete list of 100 exceptional picture<br />
books for babies, toddlers and preschoolers,<br />
visit gvpl.ca/100books.<br />
grandmag.ca<br />
<strong>Vol</strong>. <strong><strong>II</strong>I</strong>, <strong>Ed</strong>. <strong>II</strong> 25
Media &<br />
Technology<br />
Face Your Fears &<br />
Embrace the Cloud<br />
Many of us without sound technological<br />
knowledge worry<br />
about storing our files and data<br />
on the internet, but the truth is we<br />
could be more at risk if we don’t.<br />
stored on a remote database, instead<br />
of being kept solely on your device.<br />
The biggest benefit of cloud storage<br />
is that photos, documents and other<br />
files won’t disappear if you lose your<br />
phone, or if your computer stops<br />
working.<br />
Ben Hocking is digital<br />
editor at YourLifeChoices,<br />
yourlifechoices.com.au.<br />
Unless you are one of the few who<br />
regularly back up their files, you are<br />
only a computer malfunction away<br />
from losing most of your important<br />
files.<br />
Storing your information on the<br />
cloud allows you to make sure all your<br />
important files avert a hardware or<br />
file failure.<br />
What is the cloud?<br />
Put simply, the cloud is a storage<br />
system that uses an online server,<br />
rather than a phone or computer hard<br />
drive. This means that your files are<br />
Is it safe?<br />
The level of security depends on<br />
which system you’re using, as different<br />
companies (Google, Apple, etc.)<br />
will have different ways of protecting<br />
the privacy of your files. Essentially,<br />
as long as your password is unique<br />
and secure (as is the case for all things<br />
tech-related), then cloud storage is<br />
safe. So, don’t be afraid to embrace<br />
it as a digital storage option. Certain<br />
products, such as Google Drive, allow<br />
users to set up mobile login verification,<br />
where the user receives a code<br />
via SMS, which is entered as an extra<br />
security tool, to help ensure the information<br />
is not accessed by an unauthorised<br />
user.<br />
Another advantage<br />
As well as making sure your files<br />
are safe from malfunction and misadventure,<br />
storing files in the cloud<br />
also comes with one other significant<br />
advantage: sharing files with loved<br />
ones quickly. If you store all images on<br />
Google Photos, for example, you can<br />
access these images instantly no matter<br />
where we are. You can also share<br />
the login details with other family<br />
members and friends so they can see<br />
all the latest pictures of the grandkids,<br />
without trawling through the mess of<br />
social media.<br />
26 <strong>GRAND</strong> grandmag.ca
Give Wonder!<br />
975 Fort Street, Victoria BC - 250-595-4905 - motheringtouch.ca<br />
Support Our Hospitals<br />
in Your Will<br />
Donating in your will is one of the greatest acts<br />
of generosity you can make. No great wealth is<br />
required to give, just the willingness to plan.<br />
Royal Jubilee Hospital<br />
“Giving to our local<br />
hospitals is an effective<br />
way to make a difference<br />
in people’s lives — when<br />
they’re at their most<br />
vulnerable.”<br />
— Lynne Thomas, on why<br />
she included VHF in her will<br />
Start a conversation with Beth Cairns today:<br />
250-519-1750 | vhf@viha.ca<br />
victoriahf.ca/will-and-estates<br />
grandmag.ca<br />
<strong>Vol</strong>. <strong><strong>II</strong>I</strong>, <strong>Ed</strong>. <strong>II</strong> 27