Being a grandparent is amazing, and it is a full-time job when our granddaughter is here. Our daughter, Jaime, is home with our granddaughter, Taryn, for a wedding shower. I find it is necessary to be holding the baby or watching the baby or talking to the baby. Many of you may understand. It is wonderful, and it is perplexing how much time and attention such a little baby can consume. To complete my article this week, I had to get up early before they are awake.
I enjoyed watching my parents interact with their first great-grandchild. They were at the farm for an extended family supper we held before the shower.
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Communication key to bridging generation gap
Each generation is shaped by the predominant forces at play during their formative years. Acknowledging these influences can improve communication among the generations.
My mother has always made a sweet salad dressing that she uses for potato salad and coleslaw. It is a traditional cooked recipe that the family loves so I am including it for others to try. This dressing needs to be refrigerated and consumed the same day because it does not have the additives and preservatives contained in store-bought dressings.
Mom’s sweet salad dressing
11/2 cups sugar or Splenda 375 mL
2 teaspoons dry mustard 10 mL
31/2 teaspoons flour 17 mL
2 teaspoons salt 10 mL
2 cups milk 500 mL
4 eggs
1 cup vinegar 250 mL
1 tablespoon butter 15 mL
Cook the above ingredients in a double boiler until thick.
First, mix sugar, mustard, flour and salt. Add milk and beaten eggs. Add vinegar slowly, stirring constantly. Once thickened, add butter. This yields at least four cups (one litre).
Nourishing the family tree
Summer is the time when many families gather for holidays, wedding and reunions. Families have strong roots like trees that provide the stability to weather life’s storms, and branches that stretch out to explore opportunities. Both offer shelter and a place to grow and play. And just like trees, families come in all sorts of varieties, shapes and sizes. Just as trees require proper nourishment so they can grow to be strong, we need to create healthy and positive environments for child and family well-being.
While you are gathering with your families this summer, think about nurturing the family mental health through communication. Good communication is a must. Whether your family is coping with a loved one’s mental illness, or simply dealing with the ups and downs of everyday life, family members need to be able to talk about their problems, challenges and successes, knowing that they are being listened to and understood.
Consider the following communication tips to nurture your family’s happiness, harmony and mental health:
- Be respectful. Do not interrupt or criticize.
- Be straightforward.
- Stay calm.
- Acknowledge what is being said.
- Stick to one topic at a time – the current issue, not an old one.
- Empathize by using statements such as “I understand this is difficult for you.”
- Avoid patronizing statements such as “what makes you the authority?”
Source: Adapted from the Schizophrenia
Society of Canada. For more information, call 905-415-2007 or visit www.schizophrenia.ca.
Family coalition
Family Service Canada is a national network of organizations and individuals dedicated to advancing child and family well-being in Canada. At the national level, FSC is involved in speaking out for all Canadian families, influencing policy and advocating on important family issues such as poverty and family
violence.
In Winnipeg this year, Sept. 28-29, Family Service Canada and the Family Centre of Winnipeg are hosting two days of professional development called celebrating the power of families and communities.
For more information, contact www.familyservicecanada.org or info@familyservicecanada.org, or call 800-668-7808.
Diabetes tips
Last month, Don and I attended a diabetic clinic in Saskatoon. Two Saskatoon pharmacists, Monique Zwack and Audrey McLelland, discussed diabetes, its effects on the body and how different medications can affect the body. Food labels can help in eating well, as can understanding portion sizes. When you are loading your plate, think of filling half of it with vegetables, add a fist full of grains and starches and a palm full of meats and alternatives.
For more information about diabetes, visit www.diabetes.ca or call 800-226-8464.
Link with depression
Giselle Ferguson, a child and youth psychiatrist discussed the strong link between depression and diabetes and treatments that are available. Diabetes doubles the risk for depression. As many as one in every three people with diabetes experiences symptoms of depression.
Depression is a medical condition that is more than just feeling sad, stressed or irritable once in a while. Most people with depression will have several of the following symptoms for most of the day, almost every day, for at least two weeks.
- Lose interest in their usual activities.
- Feel that things that used to make them happy no longer bring pleasure.
- Experience weight loss or gain.
- Have trouble sleeping (insomnia) or sleep too much.
- Feel agitated and nervous or feel sluggish.
- Have crying spells or be emotional.
- Have trouble focusing or making decisions.
- Think about death or suicide.
Symptoms like these are normal after major losses such as the death of a loved one, diagnosis of a new medical problem or losing a job, but people should start feeling better after a few weeks.
People with depression cannot trace their symptoms directly to medications, medical conditions or loss of a loved one.
Contrary to what many people used to believe, depression is not a sign of personal weakness or failure. Telling someone to pull out of it cannot cure depression. Differences in how the brain works, how a person reacts to stressful events such as chronic illness or divorce and a history of depression in the family can all make someone more likely to get depression.
It is not clear exactly how depression is related to diabetes, but, diabetes can cause people to feel overwhelmed.
If you think you have symptoms of depression, it is important to get help as soon as you can. Research shows that depression is treated best with a combination of medication and counselling. Antidepressants help change the way your brain works, and counselling can
offer an objective and fresh perspective, and teach you the skills you need to cope with the stresses in your life.
Having the support of family and friends can also be a comfort. Physical activity, such as taking a walk, playing with kids or finding
another activity can lift your spirits and
provide other health benefits, too.
Barbara Sanderson is a home economist from Rosetown, Sask., and one of four columnists comprising Team Resources. Send correspondence in care of this newspaper, Box 2500, Saskatoon, Sask., S7K 2C4 or contact them at team@producer.com.
