GMCAA Help Me Grow Newsletter

January 1, 2012 Volume 6, Issue 3

GMCAA Executive Dir ector, Tom Reed GMCAA Planner/Hel p Me Grow Director, Teresa Varian parentsmartsblog.blogspot.com gallimeigscaa.webs.com

Teachable Moments are Everywhere Every Day

Upcoming Events
The following dates are tentative. Please check for cancellations and changes. Please call 992-5266 or 1866-0110 and register if you will be attending any of the activities!

Think you have to spend hours

April
April 9 Spring Fling @Dave Diles Park 11:00 come visit with the Easter Bunny!
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May
May 2 from 10:00 to 12:00 Mothers Day Brunch @HMG Fun Fair @ Family Life Center in Middleport on th May 11 from 10:00 to 2:00
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June Fathers Day Picnic @ Dave Diles Park on June 5th from 5:30 to 7:00

cheerios and putting them in their mouth is an activity that is a teachable moment. Gross motor can be crawling and walking which are everyday activities that support this domain. Social emotional skills can be as simple as defining your childs moods for them as they happen, playing games like where is the baby and interaction with others helps to build this important skill Cognitive development can be as easy as allowing your child to try new experiences helping to support their thinking skills and are things you do with your child every day. Language: Reading, singing and talking to your baby are every day When you give your child a bath you are moments that turn into learning looking at your child speaking to them in moments that promote language skills. your mommy or daddy voice helping Remember you are your childs first them learn social skills. You name your and most important teacher. Now childs body parts as you wash them. You count their little toes; play peek-a- you know how easy it is using everyday routines and familiar places boo with the washcloth. Guess what? to teach your child, give yourself a Learning has occurred. This is what are pat on the back and relax. You are called teachable moments and it doing a great job! couldnt be easier. You are getting the things baby requires and helping them learn by doing something you do every day! You are helping to build the foundation that will make up your childs five developmental domains like small motor skills such as picking up small foods like teaching your baby? Worry no more, daily activities, such as feeding, bathing, and diaper changes are valuable occasions to encourage your childs development. It is everyday activities that make ordinary jobs a teaching moment

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GMCAA Help Me Grow Quarterly Newsletter

Should I Smoke While Pregnant?

Smoking while pregnant is putting you unborn childs health at risk. Your baby is more likely to be born prematurely, born with lungs and other organs not fully formed causing your child to experience costly medical interventions. Your baby could be born with a low birth weight. Contrary to popular belief this does not make delivery any easier. In fact it makes your child at greater risk for developing problems during birth and less healthy as they grow up. Your Baby could have problems breathing and have to receive an injection to help develop their lungs before they can leave the hospital resulting in extra days in the NICU or they may develop asthma or allergies later in life. Your baby could be at greater risk of Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) as recent studies have suggested. Smoking while pregnant can be linked with childhood behavior problems and slower learning so your child may be delayed and have to receive time consuming interventions to catch up to others in their age group. When you smoke during and after pregnancy you are exposing your child to over 4,000 different chemicals. These are passed through you to your baby before and after birth. Some of these toxic chemicals are,formaldehyde, arsenic, benzene
and cyanide just to name a few. The nicotine in a cigarette can raise you and your babys heart rates reducing blood flow and slowing digestion. It can also cause birth defects. Why take the risk of putting your childs health at risk? If you smoke and are pregnant or thinking about becoming pregnant why not set your Quit Day today!

Ways to Quit smoking

Set a quit day and make a plan of how you are going to tackle the urge to smoke. Get of the a fresh start by throwing away all smoking materials. Wash all your clothing and clean your hose to rid it of the smoke smell. Stock all the places you kept your cigarettes with sugarless gum, mints, straws, and tooth picks to keep your hands and mouth busy. Withdrawal symptoms can be tough the first few days. Use what is called the Four Ds to help you. Remember, this will not last forever. It should get easier after the first three days as the nicotine leaves your system. The 4 Ds 1. Deep Breathe. This can calm the urge to smoke. Drink Water. This keeps your mouth fresh and helps to flush the nicotine out of your body Do something. Fix your nails. Write a note to someone. Do something with your hands to distract yourself. Delay. Put off taking a puff. The urge to smoke should only last 3 to 5 minutes

April Activities

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May Activities

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GMCAA Help Me Grow Quarterly Newsletter

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JuneActivities
Fun Fair

Fun Learning Songs and Finger Plays

Finger Plays with Nursery Rhymes are valuable activities that help children acquire skills that are essential to their development and learning. They help improve and advance memory and language skills, while also aiding in the development of eye-hand coordination and enhancing their gross and fine motor skills. Finger Plays also help in the development of the young childs mind by stimulating the brain to aid in the connection of brain cells before the age of 3. Here are a few to try.

Friends (tune: If youre happy and you know it) If you have a toy, then share it with a friend. If you have a toy, then share it with a friend. If you have a friend and know it and you really want to show it If you have a toy, then share it with a friend.

Snowman Five Little Easter Eggs

Five little Easter eggs lovely colors worn (Hold up five fingers) Mother ate the blue one, then there were four. (Bend down one finger) Four little Easter eggs, two and two you see, Daddy ate the red one, then there were three (Bend down one finger) Three little Easter eggs, before I knew, Sister ate the yellow one, then there were two. (Bend down one finger) Two little Easter eggs, oh, what fun! Brother ate the purple one, then there was one. (Bend down one finger) One little Easter egg, see me run! I ate the last one, and then there were none. (Bend down last finger)

Touch Your Nose

Touch your nose, touch your chin; Thats the way this game begins. Touch your eyes, touch your knees; Now pretend youre going to sneeze. Touch your hair, touch one ear; Touch your two lips right here Touch your elbows where they bend; Thats the way this touch game ends.

GMCAA Help Me Grow 122 N 2nd Ave. P.O. Box 129 Middleport, Ohio 45760 Phone: (740) 992-5266 1-800-219-0110 Fax: (740) 992-6553

Shopping Matters
Shopping Matters is a program of Share Our Strength. It is an interactive guided grocery store tour that helps adults make healthy and affordable choices at the supermarket. During a Shopping Matters tour, participants learn information and practice skills that help them understand how to economically purchase fruits and vegetables, save money by comparing unit prices, and make healthier choices by reading food labels and ingredient lists. Participants also receive handouts and recipes so they can continue practicing what they One World, Many Stories is the 2011 summer reading program at the library. It is for children of all ages and runs June 6 through July 22. There are many fun events planned so plan to sign up today! All Events will be at the Pomeroy Library and are subject to change so call before attending. June 15 Jeff Nichols Cartoonist @ 2:00 pm nd June 22 Nancy the Turtle Lady @2:00PM June 29th Sojebety West African
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learn at home and on future trips to the store. You will earn free gifts to take with you and use on your next shopping trip. The next Shopping Matters Tour will be held on JULY 20TH AT Powells Food Fair starting at 10 AM. Please call 740-9925266 or 1-800-219-0110 to register to get the time and store and so we will have enough free gifts for everyone.

Give your child a helping hand right from the start!

Fun Days at Pomeroy Public Library

Drummer 2:00 PM Didgeridoo Down Under 2:00 PM th July 13 Chautauqua Program Civil War 10:30 AM Youth 1:30 PM Adults st July 21 Pool Party at London Pool Story Times Mondays Racine Library 2:00PM Tuesdays Eastern Library 2:00 PM July 7
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Were on the Web! parentsmartsblog. blogspot.com

GMCAA Help Me Grow 122 N 2nd Ave P.O. Box 129 Middleport, Ohio 45760 galliameigscaa.webs.com