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As a member of the Hyde Park Lions Club, our Board President Matt Brown is helping organize their first ever Santa Claus Parade along Gainsborough Road on Saturday, November 28 from 11 a.m.
The parade with begin at Sherwood Forest Mall and travel west on Gainsborough Road. Hot chocolate and cookies will be available along Gainsborough Road, so bring a lawn chair, pick out a good location, and enjoy the parade!
The parade is operated by the Hyde Park Lions Club as a service to the Community. Any profits will be used for Lions programs and community betterment.
Plans are underway to have many community groups take part with parade participants collecting non-perishable foods to support the local food banks and the Salvation Army. Canada Post staff will be collecting those important “Letters to Santa” and much more.
Here’s the facebook event page .
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact Matt.
Project Overview
Childreach applied for Community Services Innovation Funding from the City of London in December 2008. The proposal was accepted and will help to fund the development of parenting support circles in the Kipps Lane area. This is a time-limited project. It began in September 2009 and will end in the spring/summer of 2010.
This project will engage parents of children (0-13 yrs) in the Kipps Lane area. Community surveys have indicated that families living in this area struggle with issues of isolation, poverty, language, literacy, and employment. There are many single parent, immigrant, and young parent families. The issues they face decrease their quality of life. If we can influence the impact of these issues in positive ways, we can reduce the long-term negative impact on the development of young children, creating pride and hope for their future. We will build on the existing strengths in this neighbourhood by providing leadership training and coaching to six parents with regards to facilitation of ongoing parent support groups.
Parent Leaders will be selected from this neighbourhood and represent diversity in age, gender and culture. Monthly leadership sessions will be followed up with monthly parent circles (comprised of parents from the neighbourhood). Topics for discussion will be determined by the participants. Parents often request information and support regarding positive discipline, finding community resources, feeling more confident about their parenting, and stress management. Childminding will be provided. Snacks will be prepared by participants (funding will be provided for food purchases). Feedback regarding group facilitation will be provided by the mentor after each parenting circle. Subsequent leadership training will involve goal setting, problem-solving, reflection, and resource-seeking skill development.
This initiative emphasizes citizen engagement and community development. By building the capacity of parents living in this area, the project will build on the work of the City of London, ongoing work of community organizations, and countless individuals. The project will also contribute toward strengthening the uniqueness and resourcefulness of the community. An honorarium will be given to group facilitators for the duration of the project, and it is hoped that parents will continue to see the value of meeting together to improve understanding and increase support to one another. This project will create an opportunity for community development and family leadership.
If you or someone you know would be interested in joining the parenting circles, please call Marg at 519-434-3644 x38. Meetings are held at Northbae Public School, 335 Belfield St. here in London. Dates to be announced.
With funding from the City of London, Childreach is pleased to present Parenting Support Circles for parents of children 1-12 years old living in the Kipps Lane neighbourhood. The next meeting is on Monday, October 26 from 9:30 to 11 a.m. at the Northbrae Hub, 335 Belfield St.
Being a parent is a joyful experience, but it can also be very stressful. Parent Support Circles give mothers and fathers an opportunity to meet other parents and recognize they are not alone. At Parent Support Circles, parents can invite guest speakers, organize activities for children and parents, talk about the worries (and excitement) of being a parent.
For more information, call Marg at 519-434-3644 x38.
The London OEYCs invite you and your family to the 6th Annual London OEYC Birthday Party Celebration at the London Children’s Museum on Monday, October 19, 2009 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
If you would like to attend, please RSVP to Liz Hicks. Be sure to include in your message your name, your phone number, and the # of people in your family. There will also be pizza available at $1.00 per slice. If you and your family would like pizza, please let us know in the message how many slices you would like to order. Money will be collected at the event. Beverages will be free. The deadline for RSVPs is Thursday, October 8, 2009.
- Tell each child, “I love you.”
- Communicate love through gentle touch.
- Keep track of your kids; notice when they come and go.
- Talk up what your children do that’s right.
- Notice small accomplishments.
- Explain the unknown.
- Ask their opinion.
- Expect age-appropriate responsibility.
- Provide situations where your child gains confidence.
- Surround your kids with loving relatives and friends.
- Hug your child at least 4 times a day!
- Penny Parker, Positive Parenting in Action
The Ontario Child Benefit is a provincial government program to help low-income families provide for their children. Beginning in July 2009, eligible families will receive up to almost $92 per child each month — up to a maximum of $1,100 a year for each child.
Your eligibility is based on the number of children in your family and your family income.
You may be eligible if you:
- Have a child under 18 and are in a low-income family
- Have filed your annual income tax return and so has your spouse or common-law partner
- Are registered for the Canada Child Tax Benefit
- Are a resident of Ontario for the past 18 months.
For more information, please visit www.ontario.ca/childbenefit. Information is available in 23 languages. You can also call ServiceOntario toll-free at 1-866-821-7770.
To view a video about the OCB, click here at www.ontario.ca/childbenefit .
- Watch tv with your child. Discuss the program, plot, values, and commercials. Help them distinguish between what is real and what is fantasy.
- Limit the number of hours. Log how many hours your child is watching tv, and then gradually decrease viewing time. Model the behaviour you want – in other words, don’t be a couch potato yourself! Don’t choose vacation time or a stressful time to decrease tv watching.
- Provide fun alternatives to tv watching. Don’t turn off the tv, and then request that the child clean his/her room. This is the time to buy some craft supplies or a new board game. Invite friends over or visit the library.
- Do not use tv as a reward.
- Turn off the tv when you are done watching a show. Don’t just watch anything. Choose only top-quality shows.
- Try not to use the tv as a babysitter.
- Put the tv in a remote area or cover it up. Never put a tv in a child’s bedroom or near the dining area.
- Keep puzzles, games, and building toys near the tv. They have a greater chance at being chosen over watching tv.
- Cancel cable to limit viewing options.
- Do not serve snacks or meals in front of the tv – this only reinforces the tv habit.
- Listen to the radio or story cassettes instead. Listening to a story requires active participation from the child as they create their own mental images.
- Realize that even though your child says he is bored, you do not have to entertain him/her or turn on the tv. Boredom can teach your child how to be resourceful or just give him time to think and work things out.
- Plan activities that reinforce a program’s content. For example, visit a shoe store like the one you saw on Mr. Rogers. Encourage them to make their own railroad station, store, etc.
- Extend the learning through art activities and books. Draw pictures of things they saw on tv. Find books that teach you more about sharks, etc.
- Promote active viewing. Encourage your child to sing and dance along with the tv and express their reactions to what is happening.
I found this ‘poster’ out in cyberspace, and it spoke to me.
Sounds easy, doesn’t it?
Nadine Reeves, Administrative Assistant
One on one time with children should be fun and frequent. It is important because it builds the parent/child relationship, develops trust, attachment, and security. Try spending small amounts of time, many times through the day, doing things your child likes.
Try these:
- Read a book
- Build a fort
- Cuddle or tickle
- Sing or dance
- Go for a walk
- Bake
- Colour or draw
- Go for a bike ride
- Look at family photos
Spending time as a family promotes positive relationships and develops communication. Life is busy and it can be hard to make time to do things all together, so start out small.
Try these:
- Play family games
- Hide and seek
- Walk
- Read stories
- Cook
- Watch a movie
- Talk
Mealtimes, bedtime and car rides are great for talking.
Try asking everyone these:
- Share the best part of your day?
- Share one kind thing you did today?
- If you won $100.00, how would you spend it?
- If you were Prime Minister, what would you do?
- If you were an animal, what would you be?
- My favourite colour is…..(number, animal, sport, book)
Family time and talking encourages children to be open. It develops routines where time together is a priority.
To learn more about quality time and other parenting skills, please feel free to email me directly at lmcintosh(at)childreach(dot)on(dot)ca.
Lisa McIntosh, Parent Educator
The London Police, Children’s Aid Society, Thames Valley District School Board, and the City of London have organized a free seminar about internet safety on Wednesday, May 6 from 7 to 9 p.m at Central Secondary School. Bruce Cowper, the Chief Security Advisor for Microsoft Canada, will be speaking to families on the good, the bad and the ugly sides of the world wide web.
Children are welcome, and childminding will be provided for younger children. Pre-registration is required for childminding. Call 519-661-5575 and refer to bar code 207198 or visit the Spectrum website.
