Exciting Presentation on Positive Behavior

Promoting Positive Behavior in Young Children”
A Webinar for ALL Families in HMG
February 26, 2010
10:30 a.m. to Noon

We love them dearly, but our children’s behavior can sometimes be a puzzle – and at times very frustrating for even the most experienced parents! On February 26 at 10:30 am, Dr. John C. Duby, Director of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Akron Children’s Hospital, will be doing a 90-minute live online presentation: “Promoting Positive Behavior in Young Children.” The Webinar is being coordinated by the Family Information Network (FINofOhio).
How to register? Simple! Email finofohiowebinar@ymail.com. In your email, please indicate the date of the Webinar: February 26, 2010. Several days before the Webinar you will receive an email with information on how to log on and join this very informative and practical presentation.
Don’t miss this opportunity to hear Dr. Duby! Sign up now!

Next Topic
“How to Encourage Language in Young Children”
Friday, March 19, 2010 from 1:00-2:30 p.m.
Presenters: Abbie McCauley, Ph. D. and Mike Esposito, CCC/SLP
Family Child Learning Center

Baby and Me Play Dates

What are Baby and Me Play Dates you ask? They are a fun place where you and your child up to three years old can sing, dance, laugh, sing and be silly for thirty minutes once a month.

Why do we want to spend thirty minutes singing and dancing? Babies are born with millions of brain cells. Music and movement cause more networks between the cells to be created, which is the essence of learning. The ryhthm of moving to and repeating rhymes and songs are what help build these networks. However if the cells are not introduced to music and movement there are not as many networks built and the chance to build these networks are lost. Building these networks between cells helps to pave the way to early literacy skills. Better early literacy skills leds to better school performance and isn’t that something all parents want for their child?

Wait, are you thinking to yourself? “My child won’t sit still, or my child won’t sing, let alone dance.” Are you thinking? “Oh no, I can’t sing, and I won’t dance in front of people. What if I don’t know anyone?” Don’t worry. Everyone learns differently, even adults. There are those who sit and absorb all the goes on around them. There are those that sing at the top of their lungs and dance like no one is watching. As they say it takes all kinds.

So come on and play, sing, dance, and laugh with us. Meet new people. Help your child learn. The next play date is Februray the 10th at 10:00 at the Help Me Grow office in the play room.

Car Safety Seats For Children

Gallia Meigs Community Action Help Me Grow will be having a Child Safety Seat Class on February 9th at 10:00 A.M. At the Help Me Grow office in Middleport, Ohio. Participants will watch a short movie about car seat safety and receive instruction on how install seats correctly. They then will receive a seat that meets the correct safety requirements for their child. If you are interested in attending please call the office at 740-992-5266 with your child's height and weight to register. Call soon as we are filling up quickly. We also have 12 boosters seats for children without harnesses for children over 4 years old. Please tell us if you are interested in one of those.

Here are the National Highway Traffic Safety Administrations (NHSTA) tips for children birth to 4 year olds regarding car safety seats.

INFANTS: BIRTH TO 1 YEAR OLD

The safest way for infants to ride is rear-facing in the back seat. Rear-facing child safety seats protect the infant's head, neck, and back in a crash. The infant should ride rear-facing until at least 1 year of age AND at least 20 pounds, longer if possible.Two kinds of child safety seats for babies:
1. Small, lightweight "infant-only" child safety seats are designed for rear-facing only.
Baby's head must be at least one inch below the top of the seat.
The label on the seat gives the upper weight.
2. Larger "convertible" seats can be used rear-facing from about 5 to 35 pounds.
Some older models only go up to 20-22 pounds rear-facing. Always check the label and instructions for the rear-facing weight limit.
If a baby under 1 year old grows too tall or too heavy for an infant-only seat, a convertible seat with a higher rear-facing weight limit (over 22 pounds) is recommended.
Convertible safety seats may be turned around to face the front when the baby is over 1 year old AND at least 20 pounds. It is recommended that a child ride rear-facing as long as she/he fits. Follow the seat manufacturer's instructions.
A convertible seat with a 5-point harness works best for a newborn baby. Seats with a padded overhead shield do not fit small babies properly. The shield comes up too high and may make proper adjustment of the harness difficult.

BUCKLING BABY IN THE SAFETY SEAT

Use the lowest harness slots for a newborn infant. Keep the straps in the slots at or below the baby's shoulders for the rear-facing position.
Harness straps must fit properly on the baby's shoulders and between the legs. Dress the baby in clothes that keep the legs free.
Keep harness straps very snug and flat on baby's shoulders, not arms. If the harness is even slightly loose, the baby can be thrown out of the seat.
Place the plastic harness retainer clip near the child's armpits to hold the harness straps on the shoulders. Check instructions if the seat doesn't have a harness clip.
Always buckle baby in the seat first, then place blankets OVER the harness.
If baby needs support, fill empty spaces with small, rolled blankets on each side of the baby's shoulders and head. A rolled diaper or small towel can also be put between her/his legs behind the crotch strap.
Thick padding should NOT be put under or behind the baby.
Babies must ride sitting in a semi-reclined (halfway back or a 30-45 degree angle from vertical) to keep the airway open.
If the safety seat is too upright for the baby, and the base is not adjustable, put a tightly rolled bath towel, or part of a foam pool noodle, under the front edge of the child safety seat to tilt it back a little . Do not tip it too far back or the child could be ejected.

TODDLERS AND PRESCHOOLERS: 1 TO 4 YEARS OLD

Children over 1 year old AND over 20 pounds may face forward in a convertible seat, forward-facing child vest, or a combination child seat/booster. Some child safety seats are built into the vehicle seat. A child should ride in a child safety seat with a harness until about 4 years old.
This convertible seat (a seat that can be used rear-facing or forward-facing) may face the front for a child OVER 1 year old AND OVER 20 pounds.
This vest requires use of a tether. The vehicle’s safety belt goes through loops near the hips.
This combination child seat/booster is used with the harness for younger children and with the vehicle’s lap and shoulder belt for older children. Remove the harness before using with the lap and shoulder belt. Check the manufacturer’s instructions for weight limits.

Most toddlers and preschoolers (up to age 4) are not big enough or old enough for a belt-positioning booster seat. They need a full harness for upper body protection and to hold them in their seats. A full harness should be used as long as possible. Follow the manufacturer's instructions and weight limit. For children 40 pounds or more who are too young or too active to sit still in a booster seat, or if a vehicle has only lap belts, use child restraints labeled for use over 40 pounds.

USING FORWARD-FACING CHILD SAFETY SEATS

When a child rides in a safety seat that faces forward, harness straps must be at or above the child's shoulders. Most convertible seats require use of the top-most slot for the forward-facing position. These slots are reinforced to prevent the seat from failing in a crash. Check the manufacturer's instructions for the best and safest placement of the harness straps.
Place the harness retainer clip at armpit level. Check the instructions if the seat doesn't have a harness clip.
Use the correct belt path for the direction the seat is facing. Check the instructions and look for labels on the safety seat.
ALWAYS read and follow the child safety seat instructions and the vehicle owner's manual!
For more information, contact the DOT Auto Safety Hotline at 1-888-DASH-2-DOT(1-888-327-4236) or http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/

The Joy of Reading Together

Children love to be read to and the first building block of future reading ability is learning to understand and speak language. Babies learn phonemic awareness (the ability to perceive individual sounds in the stream of speech) in the first eight to ten months. By eighteen months, they may already understand an average of fifty words. After age two babies acquire vocabulary at an awesome rate (about 8 to 10 words a day). By age six a child understands about 13,000 words.

How do babies learn vocabulary? They learn from hearing a flood of words from their parents through positive conversations and a daily variety of read-alouds. Jim Trelease, the read-aloud guru states so simply, "if the child has never heard the word, the child will never say the word; and if you have neither heard it nor said it, it's pretty tough to read it and to write it." So read and talk and read to your child to help provide that all important foundation for learning. Some good books to start with are:

1. Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do You See? By Eric Carle
2. Goodnight Moon By Margaret Wise Brown
3. The Very Hungry Caterpillar By Eric Carle
4. Pat the Bunny By Dorothy Kunhardt
5. Peek a Who By Nina Laden

Free Tax Preparation

Did you know that you could pay 60% to 180% of your refund to loan companies or local tax preparation businesses to get that quick, before you walk out the door, refund? Are you sure you are taking all the deductions you are entitled to? Surprisingly you may not be! It is estimated by the Ohio Attorney Generals office that in Meigs County 530 people do not claim Earned Income Tax Credit. (EITC) On average $1430.00 could be claimed by those who don’t claim EITC. Are you one of them?
How do you know if you are eligible for EITC? If your gross income is less than the following amounts, you could be eligible:

Income....... Status......Dependents
48,279 ........Married....3+
43,279 ........Single........3+
45,295 ........Married....2
40,295....... .Single........2
40,263 ........Married....1
35,463 .........Single.......1
18,440 .........Married...0
13,040......... Single.......0

Even if you did not make enough money to file your taxes you may still be eligible for the ETIC credit.

Gallia Meigs Community Action Agency’s Ohio Benefit Bank sites can do your taxes for free. Yes free! No need to go to costly Payday Loans offices or rapid refund centers and pay 60% to 180% interest to get money you are entitled to. Not to mention having to pay $50 and up for getting your taxes prepared.
Call Gallia Meigs Community Action Agency at 740-992-6629or 740-367-7341 or Help Me Grow at 740-992-6629 and ask for an Ohio Benefits Bank Counselor to get an appointment.
You can also contact a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site (call 1-800-906-9887). You will need to bring these items with you to your appointment. Proof of income, Social Security cards for all household members, Wage and earning statements, interest and dividend statements, if available, a copy of last years returns, total paid for day care and the providers tax ID, Your bank routing number and account numbers for direct deposit, And last, your spouse if married, to sign the required forms. Direct deposit takes 8 to 10 days but you will get all your refund back without any paying anyone anything. Sounds like a pretty good deal. Call and make an appointment as soon as you get your wage and earnings statements!

Winter Safety Tips

Here are a few safety tips that may be helpful for the cold winter weather we are expecting this weekend.

What to Wear
Dress infants and children warmly for outdoor activities. Several thin layers will keep them dry and warm. Clothing for children should consist of thermal long johns, turtlenecks, one or two shirts, pants, sweater, coat, warm socks, boots, gloves or mittens, and a hat.
The rule of thumb for older babies and young children is to dress them in one more layer of clothing than an adult would wear in the same conditions.
Blankets, quilts, pillows, sheepskins and other loose bedding may contribute to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and should be kept out of an infant’s sleeping environment. Sleep clothing like one-piece sleepers is preferred.
If a blanket must be used to keep a sleeping infant warm, it should be tucked in around the crib mattress, reaching only as far as your baby’s chest, so the infant's face is less likely to become covered by bedding.
Hypothermia
Hypothermia develops when a child's temperature falls below normal due to exposure to cold. It often happens when a youngster is playing outdoors in extremely cold weather without wearing proper clothing or when clothes get wet.
As hypothermia sets in, the child may shiver and become lethargic and clumsy. His speech may become slurred and his body temperature will decline.
If you suspect your child is hypothermic, call 911 at once. Until help arrives, take the child indoors, remove any wet clothing, and wrap him in blankets or warm clothes.
Frostbite
Frostbite happens when the skin and outer tissues become frozen. This condition tends to happen on extremities like the fingers, toes, ears and nose. They may become pale, gray and blistered. At the same time, the child may complain that her skin burns or has become numb.
If frostbite occurs, bring the child indoors and place the frostbitten parts of her body in warm (not hot) water. 104° Fahrenheit (about the temperature of most hot tubs) is recommended. Warm washcloths may be applied to frostbitten nose, ears and lips.
Do not rub the frozen areas.
After a few minutes, dry and cover him with clothing or blankets. Give him something warm to drink.
If the numbness continues for more than a few minutes, call your doctor.

Snowy Day Finger Plays

Here are some finger plays and songs about snow you may want to try.

Snowman Song: (Tune: I'm a Little Teapot)

I'm a little snowman, round and fat. (hold arms in front of you in a big circle)

Here are my mittens, Here is my hat. (pretend to put on mittens,and a hat)
When the sun comes out I melt away. (put arms in a circle over head for the sun)

See you next year On a snowy day. (wave good by)

Walking in the Snow

Let's go walking in the snow,(walk)
Walking, walking on tiptoe(walk on tiptoe)
Lift one foot way up high (lift 1 foot)
Then the other to keep it dry.(lift other foot)
All around the yard we skip (skip around the room)
Watch your step or you might slip!(pretend to fall)

Supply Card Winner

The November winner of a 20 dollar Supply Card for Family Dollar was Crystal Kassler. Remember to get your Developmental Calendar in for December. It's easy to win! Each day of the month jot down what you and your child do that helps foster your child's development.Then give to your Service Coordinator or mail it in. Things like singing a song, counting, stacking blocks, telling your child nursery rhymes, or reading a book and pointing out the pictures are but a few ways to help build your child's development.

The snow is a perfect opportunity to explore something new. Talk about the snow. Explain that is cold and snow melts and becomes water when it gets warm. Bundle up and go outside. Let them touch and feel the snow. Bring some snow inside and watch it melt. Talk about it. Listen to your child, answer their questions. Don't be afraid that you might not know the answer. Let them know that you will find out together. Go to the Library and get books about snow. If you have the Internet at home look it up. This is showing your child different ways to learn and if they see you doing it they will grow up to do the same. After all, parents are the first and most influential teachers of their children and these early years lay the foundation for yor child's success in school and life. Most of all, remember to have fun!