Remember last month’s blog post about Sadie lady where I learned my lesson about problems that can occur by only seeing someone in one way? Well, here I am with an update. I just came back from Sadie’s 5th birthday party which, perhaps predictably, was a princess party. It was a “Tangled” theme party with Rapunzel as the special guest. It was hosted by a company that specializes in princess parties that teach leadership skills. We were all a bit skeptical about what a princess-leadership party would look like, but we figured we’d give it a try!
Sadie lady is going to be a leader (and maybe a computer scientist!) after all!
And so, last Saturday afternoon on a picture-perfect spring day, Rapunzel surprised fifteen small princesses. After putting face jewels on all of them under a special princess tent, she emerged with some important messages for all of us—princesses to grown-ups. She taught us all quite a bit about leadership, the tough work of a princess, and the skills needed to succeed as a ruler of the people. I knew I would have a wonderful time at the party, but little did I know how much I would learn and how relevant the messages would be to our work here at the Ohio Council for Cognitive Health.
Here’s a quick recap for those of you who aren’t up to speed on the difficult work of a princess. According to Rapunzel—and she really came off as quite an authority figure—there are six important principles to remember and incorporate as a princess.
Principle 1:
Princesses need to be kind and help others, and listen to what their followers want. But there is a catch; if you are going to serve all the people of the land, you have to make tough decisions because not everyone in the land is going to agree.
Principle 2:
Princesses need to master their “boss face.” If you want to practice your boss face at home, first fold your arms in front of you and then scowl. Or for a quick tutorial, just check out Sadie’s style.
Principle 3:
Being in charge involves a lot of growing and flexing your muscles, its not an easy task. Not surprisingly, as you can see here, this came easily—and quite naturally—to Sadie. A pretty vocal “grrrrrrrr” accompanied this move.
Principle 4:
Work together. All the girls gathered in a circle and joined hands, which Rapunzel explained was to support princess Sadie on her special day, and symbolize the need to work together with kindness.
Principle 5:
Love ourselves; only then can we most effectively serve others. After practicing giving themselves a hug—which really was adorable to see—the girls sat to watch the coronation ceremony, complete with golden crown. “And now,” said Rapunzel, as she placed the golden crown on Sadie’s head, “on behalf of Princess Sadie, let us all work hand in hand on behalf of the people of the land!”
Hand in Hand Ohio
Back home, as I reflected on the party and flipped through the beautiful photos, a big smile came to my face as I realized that our program, with our “Hand in Hand” approach, supports many of the principles that Rapunzel shared with the girls. As our web site states, our agency focuses on the “supporting and facilitating positive interpersonal relationships between loved ones and the community.” Hand in Hand we are so much stronger! I could feel the power of coronation day, and as I stood in front of the bathroom mirror practicing my boss face (shhhhhhh don’t tell anyone!), I thought about how we at the Ohio Council for Cognitive Health are in the process of expanding and highlighting two of our Hand in Hand offerings.
And so, Hear ye, Hear ye! I am here to announce that from this point forward we at the Ohio Council for Cognitive Health will follow Rapunzel’s first principle: We are listening and trying to do what people want. After we launched our Quick Tips series last month, many of you have asked whether you might be able to put your name on them as well when you distribute them. And so, not only is the answer a resounding YES, but here information about how you can do it.
Next, we are proud to introduce the newest feature of our website, Hand in Hand at Home, a program which builds directly on principles 4 and 5 — you must care for and about yourself and THEN join hands with those you want to help. Or, to use Rapunzel’s words, “you are perfect the way you are but sometimes even princesses need a little help!” Hand in Hand at Home is intended to help care partners learn tips not only from us but also from those individuals who are living with dementia. These individuals can teach us so much: how to listen; how to be patient and kind; tips for finding joy in the small moments of life; how to love unconditionally; and ideas about being flexible and living more in the present.
Through Hand in Hand at Home we hope you will see that you have the power, the ability and the MUSCLE to change your perspective on dementia care. We know dementia care can be challenging, but we’ll be with you every step of the way, helping you and your loved one with dementia to live with more joy, dignity, community and independence.
Hand in Hand at Home is filled with hundreds of simple strategies; we are sure you’ll find something that is the right fit for you. There will certainly be many suggestions that jump right out at you because you are having particular challenges. Read through the material and try some of the strategies that resonate with you. Make adjustments to fit your lifestyle and needs. Sometimes if we try new approaches, or come at frustrating moments with a fresh perspective, we can be successful.
You’ll be amazed at how easily you can help your loved one go from stressed or confused to content or engaged. Use our Contact Us page to let us know what you tried and how it worked. We value your feedback and we look forward to helping you!
By now you’re probably wondering what happened to the sixth principle. I will share with you the final principle—since it was a “Tangled” party,
Principle 6 that Rapunzel shared with the girls was that you must always brush your hair. Clearly as you can see in the picture below, her comment was intended for me!
