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DATE: Thursday, June 2, 2011
TIME: 7 to 8:30pm, Doors open at 6:30pm
PLACE:CentralSecondary School,509 Waterloo St.,London,ON
TICKETS: $10 – You can buy them online here – http://www.childreach.on.ca/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=278
Judy is an award-winning speaker, bestselling author and parenting expert on issues facing parents and families in the new millennium. She’s a regular guest on Global TV and has been featured in Chatelaine, Today’s Parent, Parents, Canadian Living, Globe and Mail and many more
Childreach and Investing In Children are bringing Judy Arnall, Speaker, Trainer and Canadian Bestselling Author to London on Friday, June 3, 2011 During the day, she will present an innovative workshop “Helping Parents Raise the Digital Generation” for professionals who work with families, and on the evening of Thursday, June 2 she will be speaking to parents.
Contact Jane Powers at jpowers@childreach.on.ca for more information.
The Daddy and Me program is a weekly “program for dads, run by dads” that looks at ways to be better fathers for our children.
This program includes biological fathers, step-fathers, same-sex fathers – any male who is in a parenting role whether it’s custodial or non-custodial. This program is also open to soon-to-be fathers.
The group meets every Tuesday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Childreach. Childreach is located at 265 Maitland St. between Bathurst St. and Hamilton Rd. Childminding is available at no cost for children 0-6 years old. Support fror this program is generously provided by funds from the Labatt 24-Hour Relay.
There will be a different topic every week which might include guest speakers. A light snack will also be served. Check for weekly updates on the Childreach website.
To register, contact Mary Ann Avey at 519-434-3644 x19 or register online here.
My littlest was beading a mountain of friendship pins this week, and she had strung all the decorated safety pins on a long purple string. I noted that when I was little, my friends and I would put them on our shoelaces. She gave me the strangest look.
But what was stranger than her look was that it dawned on me that I had completely forgotten to teach my child how to tie her own shoelaces! Oh, the guilt. Thankfully, my resilience skills are up to par, and rather than dwell on the fact that I had potentially failed as a mother, I thought about how we were going to solve this issue.
During this time of reflection, I reassured myself that although she could not tie shoelaces, she could knit a scarf. It’s definitely not a lack of fine motor skills holding her back. However, apparently knitting is higher up on my parenting priorities than tying shoelaces. To be honest, I also thought about going against all the ‘rules’ and seeing how far in life she could go without ever learning how to tie shoelaces, and the non-conformist in me was inspired. Who says she needs to wear shoes with laces? The only problem with this option was that I think she would look super cute in hightop sneakers.
The irony of all of this is I’ve done this before – the whole teaching a kid how to tie her shoelaces. I seriously can not remember how I did it. It’s been almost ten years!
I asked the littlest if she wanted to sit down and learn how to tie shoelaces, and she simply said, “Nope.” With 15 years of parenting behind me, I’ve learned to pick my battles very carefully which really means, I don’t pick many battles at all anymore. They’re right when they say your parenting relaxes with subsequent children. I respect that she doesn’t want to learn how to tie her shoelaces. That’s cool. And I’m cool.
In the meantime, she’ll wear slip-on shoes and shoes with velcro and buckles a little bit longer. She’s down with that, so I am too. One day she will want to learn, and when she does, I have some handy reference links up my sleeve!
A to Z Kids Stuff | Tying Shoes
youtube videos galore
Tying shoes step by step
Until then, I’ll keep my eyes open for the pair of shoes that will inspire her to learn and keep my shoe-lacing skills sharp. :)
Written by Nadine Reeves, Administrative Assistant
Registration is now open for our next session of parent workshops. It’s now even easier with our online registration system. All of the workshops are provided free of charge.
Some workshops being offered include:
- Making Your Own Toys – Thursday, July 15, 10 to 11:30 am
- Baby Wearing – Wednesday, July 14, 10 to 11 am
- Temper Tantrums – Tuesday, July 27, 6:30 to 8 pm
- Seuss on the Loose – Tuesday, August 31, 10 to 11:30 am
- Positive Mealtimes – Tuesday, September 21, 10 to 11:30 am
- Loving Touch for Dads & Infants – Saturday, September 25, 10 to 11:30 am
Register now to avoid disappointment!
Many of us as parents of young children have experienced the frustration and embarrassment of having a child who bites others. Biting is very common for infants and toddlers, but if a three or four year old is biting, check with a professional about other issues.
Children bite for many reasons:
- Lack language skills
- Can’t express their feelings
- Overwhelmed with stimulation
- Overtired
- Teething
- Checking tastes and textures
- Need for space
- Attention
- Self–defense
Try to find out why your child is biting -what happened before and after the bite. Respond to the reason for the biting. If children are overtired or over-stimulated, ensure they get more rest or reduce noise, lights and activities. Give children the words to say when they are frustrated, mad or sad. Provide lots of teething toys or frozen wash cloths to chew on when babies are teething. Give a little attention to the ‘biter’ if that is what they’re after, say firmly, “biting hurts” and give the victim lots of hugs and comfort. Ensure there is lots of room to play when children are together in case space is a factor. When a child is bitten, don’t over-react, comfort the child, clean & ice it for swelling. If skin is broken get it check out and ensure child’s immunization is up to date. Washing child’s mouth out with soap or other products is not safe because they contain ingredients that should not be swallowed. Shaming or giving harsh punishments usually increases aggressive behaviours, and biting your child back only teaches them that it’s ok to bite when you are upset!
Written by Mary Ann Avey, Parent Educator
Are you wondering about how to talk about sex and sexuality with your school-age child? What are students learning about this topic at school? What is “normal”? What about my family values?
If you would be interested in a parent workshop to help you answer some of these questions, call Marg at 519-434-3644 x38. If there is sufficient interest, this workshop will be offered in the New Year.
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.
Stress affects everyone! Our bodies and minds both respond when we get excited, fearful, challenged or anxious. Our brain tells our bodies to get ready to deal with these feelings and gets our body ready to “flee from danger” or to stand up and “fight it”. This helps us deal with things that threaten us. Special hormones are released in our body that prepares us to be alert and respond with lots of energy. This is a good thing once in awhile, but not when adults and children are constantly dealing with stress. These raised levels of hormones can make us feel very tired, create sore muscles and make it hard to fight off illness. One group of researchers found that parents with more worries also had children who were sick more often.
Some signs of stress in children:
| Behaviours | Body | Mind | Feelings |
| Whining Crying Nail Biting Fighting Low appetite or eating more Day dreaming |
Headaches Stomach-aches Fast heartbeat Being cold Poor sleeping Tired Illness |
Forgetful Easily distracted Confused Can’t concentrate Unreasonable Can’t problem solve |
Fear Anxiety Sad or Angry Panic Overly sensitive Helpless Frustrated |
What can we do?
Eat healthy food, get lots of exercise, get enough sleep, learn to reduce or manage stress, spend time with your children, laugh a lot, ask your children if they are worried about anything and really listen to them, minimize competitive activities, provide regular routines, make a stress management list (like deep breathing) and post it where all family members can use it.
Mary Ann Avey, Parent Educator
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.
