Welcome Baby

The Fourth Protective Factor

2012-02-09T01:00:00.000-08:00

The Fourth Protective Factor to Strengthen your Family is

Knowledge of Parenting and Child Development.

Knowledge of Parenting and Child Development:
Accurate information about child development and appropriate expectations for children’s behavior at every age help parents see their children and youth in a positive light and promote their healthy development. Information can come from many sources, including family members as well as parent education classes and surfing the Internet. Studies show information is most effective when it comes at the precise time parents need it to understand their own children. Parents who experienced harsh discipline or other negative childhood experiences may need extra help to change the parenting patterns they learned as children.

Our Welcome Baby volunteers are trained and qualified to help you with questions you have about child development. Each home visit you have you are given appropriate information regarding your child(ren)'s development. Help Me Grow is another program where you can learn what your child's strengths are and what area your child may need extra help. We can provide you with Ages and Stages Questionnaires that are helpful to determine what area of development your child might need extra support. By becoming educated about child development your family will become much happier and healthier!

Information found here and photo here

Playgroup: Our Friends at Playgroup

2012-02-08T09:17:00.000-08:00

Hello again! We had another fantastic playgroup last week. We focused on the awesome kiddos who join us for playgroup every week, and even made some decorations for a bulletin board we are putting up! My major is public health, but several child development students from UVU have been coming to observe and help out with activities, and more than once have I been told, "You need a place to put a picture of each of the kids!" This helps create an atmosphere of belonging, and give them a sense of permanence in the activities we do here. They love to see themselves as part of a whole, and I couldn't argue with that!

The kids decorated half sheets of construction paper with a traced hand print, feathers, stickers, foam shapes, glitter, crayons, string, and anything else I could find. It was fun to watch how each child's art work showed their unique personality. I'll be printing pictures of the kids to put on their paper and hanging them up in the community center that serves as our playgroup room. Other tutoring organizations and sports teams have already done similar projects, so I'm excited for our kids to feel like we belong there! The moms helped the kids bring their ideas to life by helping them use scissors, glitter, and glue. Everyone was getting so creative!

This art project could be fun for kids to do even at home to establish belonging, or could be done with cousins, groups of friends, church classes, or preschools. Get creative!

Our snack today was simple and delicious: graham crackers dipped in milk! It's a sweet and savory alternative to snacking on junk foods high in sugar, saturated fat, sodium, and empty calories, and it takes no preparation at all. Kids should have a variety of healthy snacks to choose from, so this would be a good option to start incorporating in your home. Plus it's fun to dunk crackers!

I didn't get a picture of our book this time, but it was one by Eric Carle that I'd never heard of, titled Do You Want to Be My Friend? Each child was given an animal puppet, and when their animal was featured in the book, we had them stand up and move their puppet. We met a horse, an elephant, a tiger, a walrus, a fox and more as the little mouse in the story looks for a friend. The book surprisingly had no words, which allows the reader to do their own narration. The kids were excited to find out which animal we'd find on the next page!

We ended with an activity about spider webs after reading Eric Carle's The Very Busy Spider. The kids got all tangled up!

Thanks for stopping by!

Join us next week for a Valentine's Day activity!

Additional Welcome Baby Resources

2012-02-06T09:14:00.000-08:00

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For those of you who aren't aware, the Utah County Health Department also has a Welcome Baby Home Visitation Program. The nurses at the health department visit high risk families in the community to make sure their needs are being met and that they are receiving the information they need to better their family. The health department just began their blog and we wanted to share it on our blog as additional resources for you. The health department provides classes and and programs to families in the community.
Click here to go to their blog!

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The Third Protective Factor

2012-02-02T07:00:00.000-08:00

The Third Protective Factor is Concrete Support in Times of Need.

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Concrete Support in Times of Need

Meeting basic economic needs like food, shelter, clothing and health care is essential for families to thrive. Likewise, when families encounter a crisis such as domestic violence, mental illness or substance abuse, adequate services and supports need to be in place to provide stability, treatment and help for family members to get through the crisis. Click here for more information.

The Welcome Baby program can provide support to families by being available with pertinent resources. Our trained volunteers provide support to mothers, children, and to the entire family by answering important questions and just by being available to the family for the issues they might be dealing with. By providing concrete support to families the family is strengthened, chances of neglect and abuse are significantly reduced, and child development is at its optimal level.

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Playgroups: A Snowy Activity

2012-02-01T10:32:00.000-08:00

With some snow finally staying on the ground here in Provo, we had to take advantage of the chance to do a snow-themed activity at playgroup!

We read two books about bundling up--something that is always important during Utah winters, snow or no snow!

For our activity, we decorated snowmen with different colored snack foods. We don't have enough snow on the ground here to build a snowman, so this was the perfect activity to make up for that.

Here's what you'll need to make your own snacky snowmen:

Popcorn
Raisins
Fruit Loops
Construction paper
Scissors
Elmer's glue
Markers

We also got a great game of 'Duck, Duck, Goose' going, and the kids were thrilled when I introduced 'London Bridge' to them. Our playgroup kids are ages 5 and under, and are always eager to learn new ways to run around and exercise!

This winter-themed craft helps kids use their fine motor skills by picking up and placing small finger foods onto their paper snowman. These skills are easy to practice, and help develop hand-eye coordination. Gradually strengthening these abilities can help children in day-to-day functional activities such as using utensils to eat, writing with a pencil, turning the pages of a picture book, brushing teeth, or combing hair. Activities like our snowmen help children develop these skills in a fun way--they won't even realize it's happening!

Thanks for reading! Follow our blog for Wednesday updates on activities for your kids, as well as developmental tidbits during the week!

Fathering Outreach

2012-01-30T10:27:00.000-08:00

Are you a soon-to-be father, a new father, or just a father who'd like a little direction?
Come to "Fathering Outreach" on:

Friday, February 3, 2012, at 6:30 pm

at Kids on the Move

475 W 260 N

Orem, UT 84057

Bernie Dorsey, founder of Conscious Fathering will be coming to talk about strengthening fatherhood. The Conscious Fathering program teaches that fathers are partners in parenting. It teaches fathers about the needs of their children and how to meet those needs. It teaches fathers to CPR (be Consistent, Predictable, and Reliable). The program also helps fathers to define themselves as fathers, as well as helps them learn how to build effective partnerships with mothers.

Come be educated and empowered to be a better father!

Childcare will be provided but you must RSVP to pic.committee@gmail.com or call 801-691-5304.

For more information on Bernie Dorsey and Conscious Fathering, visit the Conscious Fathering website.

Super Cute Sensory Baby Blankets

2012-01-30T08:41:00.000-08:00

I went on a home visit with Stephanie, our Welcome Baby Coordinator and the mother had a great blanket for her baby. We were so impressed with the blanket I tried to find a similar one on the web with a tutorial. I found some similar blankets, but no tutorials. I found a tutorial that might work for those of you who are seamstresses and can use it to make your own! These blankets are super cute and will help your infant with sensory development. If you add some parchment paper in between the fabric it adds some more "crinkle" to the blanket!

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This sensory square will become one of your babies favorite toys. It will help your babies brain develop by providing sensory stimulation of: touch, taste, sight, and hearing, Your baby will be delighted to play with it. It is big enough that it will keep your little one exploring from the four different components of this toy.

Touch: Babies will develop fine motor skills by feeling the ribbons, plastic vinyl, beads, and different textures of fabric.
Hearing: jingle, rattle, crinkle, and squeak.
Taste: ribbons, fabric, and teething ring
Sight: babies prefer bright fun stimulating colors, and assortment of colorful beads

The front side:
1.CRINKLE: Dinosaur Babies, 100% cotton with crinkle material sewn inside, that makes a fun crunch and crackle when twisted or squeezed.
2.BEADS: Juicy Orange vinyl window filled with fun collection of beads that rattle.
3.SQUEAK: Orange minky dots, with squeaker. Warm and natural batting sewn inside.
4.JINGLE: Lime-green minky-teething ring hanging from ribbon with jingle bells. Warm and natural batting sewn inside.

The back is a soft light blue minky dot fabric.

There is over 25 different ribbons in different colors, textures, thickness that have been trippeled stitched for durability. The top had been stitched for extra durability. I assure you these ribbons will not pull out! Ribbons have been heat-sealed to avoid fraying.

Size: aprox: 11" 1/2 X 11 1/2”(not including ribbons) which is the perfect size to keep your baby exploring. The ribbons add another 2 1/2 inches on all sides.

These are great for babies and toddlers of all ages. It is big enough that it can provide them with hours of stimulation but small enough that you can fold it up and throw it in the diaper bag. This will make a great unique gift for the mother who has everything.

For a tutorial of a similar blanket, click here

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The Five Protective Factors, Continued

2012-01-26T10:12:00.000-08:00

The second of the Five Protective Factors is Social Connections.

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Social Connections

Friends, family members, neighbors and community members provide emotional support, help solve problems, offer parenting advice and give concrete assistance to parents. Networks of support are essential to parents and also offer opportunities for people to “give back”, an important part of self- esteem as well as a benefit for the community. Isolated families may need extra help in reaching out to build positive relationships.

Welcome Baby is a program that is designed to provide mothers and families support from within the community. Our volunteers are trained to provide you necessary support for your family. We can provide you educational resources as well as emotional support as you may experience different emotions during this time of your life. The support you can receive from our program can help you to have long lasting and positive relationships with your family, friends, and community.

Information found here

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Playgroups: My Family Tree

2012-01-25T10:41:00.000-08:00

We had another great playgroup last Friday! Moving along in our theme of self and others, we talked about our families.

We started out with two books about families:

The kids loved turning the pages in this book to help the baby chick find his mom!

The colorful illustrations in this book were a fun way to talk about how all animals have parents and siblings, too.

Next I showed photographs of my own family, and introduced our craft--family trees!

Here's the example I made beforehand.

You'll need the following materials to make your own finger print family trees:

White construction paper
Brown crayon for tree trunk
Green finger paint for leaves
Pen for writing names
Popsicle stick and paper plate (for our large group, I distributed a small amount of paint to the kids on a paper plate using a popcicle stick. It was quick and efficient for our big clan!)
Wipes or wet cloth for clean up

Here are some of the kids showing off their work:

To save time, I drew the trees beforehand for the kids, but depending on the age of your kids, they may enjoy drawing the trunks and branches themselves!

And just in case you are thinking this activity is too complicated for your young ones, here's a family tree done by an 18 month old and her mom. Finger paint is fun at any age!

For our snack, I had the kids try one of my family's favorites-- apples and cheese! It's a quick, simple, and healthy snack I loved to eat after school. All you need is apple slices and cheese slices; just combine them and eat! I didn't get a good closeup of the apples and cheese, but here is our UVU helper Britia modeling the delicious snack.

Some of the kids were unsure about tasting this interesting combination, but the moms thought it was great! Give it a shot--it might surprise you!

Focusing on our family members made for an enjoyable playgroup! One area that people may not consider when describing their family is health history. People who share genetics, lifestyles, and behaviors can often be at risk for similar things. Recognizing this can help us prevent the same conditions in ourselves, and help us develop healthy lifestyles to protect our children as well.

For example, from my family tree, I know that I am at risk for skin cancer. My dad had some cancer removed from his lip about ten years ago, and rather than let myself worry about someday developing cancer, I know that there are steps I can take to decrease my risk. I can wear sunscreen and protective clothing to avoid sunburns that can potentially lead to skin cancer.

Our families support and protect us in many ways, and health is definitely an area worth reviewing! The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has created a tool called "My Family Health Portrait" to help families collect health history. It is an online form that can help you keep record of health conditions and diseases of family members, which can be helpful in understanding health risks and preventing disease in individuals. After the form is completed, it can be saved, sent to family members, and printed to be given to health care providers. Click here to start your own!

Thanks for stopping by!

Information taken from the CDC's webpage on Family Health History found here.

The Five Protective Factors

2012-01-23T11:03:00.000-08:00

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The Center for the Study of Social Policy launched the Strengthening Families Initiative in 2006, with the support from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. The Strengthening Families Initiative is a strategy and national network to prevent child abuse and neglect by helping early care and education programs to assist families develop "protective factors" which contribute to child safety and well-being.The Five Protective Factors are the foundation of the Strengthening Families Approach: Parental Resilience, Social Connections, Concrete Support in Times of Need, Knowledge of Parenting and Child Development, and Social and Emotional Competence of Children. Research studies support the common-sense notion that when these Protective Factors are well established in a family, the likelihood of child abuse and neglect diminishes. Research shows that these protective factors are also "pro-motive" factors that build family strengths and a family environment that promotes optimal child and youth development.

The first Protective Factor is Parental Resilience. No one can eliminate stress from parenting, but a parent’s capacity for resilience can affect how a parent deals with stress. Resilience is the ability to manage and bounce back from all types of challenges that emerge in every family’s life. It means finding ways to solve problems, building and sustaining trusting relationships including relationships with your own child, and knowing how to seek help when necessary.

The Welcome Baby Program can help you with Parental Resilience because we can offer you resources and other useful information with any questions and concerns you may have. We can offer you support and find other support groups from within the community to build and strengthen your relationship with your children and family. Over the next couple weeks we will cover each of the Five Protective Factors!

Information found here

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