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A resource for families in Santa Cruz County
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Leave it to the children to come up with great names for little creatures in their world. One of my all time favorites is "flutterby" which so aptly describes the beautiful butterflys in our gardens.
Join butterfly lovers
at the 33rd annual Migration Festival at Natural Bridges State Beach on Saturday, Feb. 8, and learn how you can help support the population of monarch butterflies.
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The
Migration Festival will celebrate all creatures that migrate by land, sea and air, but Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks will put a special focus on monarchs.
A
Renee's Garden seed mix formulated to grow plants that support pollinators, including monarchs, will be available at the event.
Three seasons, lots of contemporary hot topics for discussion, and riveting! If you haven't yet watched the movie series
Anne with an E, based on the Anne of Green Gables books, I recommend it! Period piece yes, but so relevant and inspiring for tweens and teens who will relate to the passionate, exuberant Anne making well intended choices and next suffering the unintended consequences. And parents... watch with them, for the parenting challenges of Matthew and Marilla as they learn how to parent a bundle of energy into adulthood will resonate with you. If you were not a perfect child and are not a perfect parent, you will surely find yourself in this series. I confess to indulging in a few binge watching sessions.
I hope you can go to the talk,
Drug Prevention Begins at Home, put on by
Kirby School
February 12 and open to the community.
Scroll down for details. Please click on every one of the recommended books. They sound very helpful and supportive of successful parenting. It seems that every day there's new information on how our brains work, especially during the 0-18+ years.
Please forward this newsletter to a friend about us so they don't miss fun events and parenting support. Just add a personal note. Thank you!
Have a great weekend!
Parmalee
info@santacruzparent.com
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Open House
,
Springhill School Pre-6, 2/6, 6:30pm
,
Details
School Day Tour
,
Gateway School K-8, 2/11, 9-11am,
Details
Art and Play Day!
Mount Madonna School PreK-12, 2/12, 9:30-11:30am,
Details
Preview Day for Parents
,
Kirby School 6-12,
2/26,
11:15am-1:15pm,
Details
Campus Tour Day,
Mount Madonna School PreK-12, 2/28, 9:30-11:30am
Details
Shadow Day for Students
,
Kirby School 6-12, Mondays,
Details
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In the Heights, A
ll About Theatre, Louden Nelson Theater, 2/7-8 & 13-15,
Details
Seacliff Skate Park Grand Opening!
Music by Cement Ship, Seacliff Village Neighborhood Park, Aptos 2/8, 1-3pm,
Details
"King tides"
are coming back! 2/8 & 9, Tide Pools,
Learn more
Full Moon Walk
, Quail Hollow Ranch, ages 12+. Sunday, 2/9, 9-11pm FREE,
Details
Romance on the Rancho,
Castro Adobe, Sunday, 2/9 from 11am - 3pm,
Details
Guided Elephant Seal Walks
,Ano Nuevo State Park, ongoing,
Details
Parent Education Series: Drug Prevention Begins at Home
, Kirby School, 2/12, 7 - 8:30pm
Details
Migration Festival,
Natural Bridges State Beach, Saturday, 2/8,11am - 4pm,
Details
February First Friday: Fantastic Fungi,
Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History,
2/
7, 5-7pm, Free Admission all day 11am–7pm, special event 5-7pm,
Details
Ranch Tours: What life was like a century ago,
Wilder Ranch State Park, 1401 Coast Road, Santa Cruz 2/8, 1-2pm,
Details
Family Opera, Massenet's "Cinderella,"
UCSC Opera,
2/15, 11am-12pm & 1pm-2pm
8-Week Triple P Group: for Families with Teens,
Ceiba School, Watsonville, Tuesdays, 2/4 – 3/24, 6 – 8 pm
Details
Triple P 8-Week Group: For families with children 2-12 years old,
La Manzana Community Resources, 18 W. Lake Ave, Suite E, Watsonville, Thursdays, 2/6 – 3/26, 6 – 8 pm,
Details
Triple P Workshop: Preventing and Managing Disobedience, Nueva Vista Community Resources, 711 E. Cliff Dr, Santa Cruz
, Tuesday, 2/25, 5:30 – 7 pm,
Details
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A Very Little Love Story
Today was our Community Knitting Day. My students finished 8 hats in two hours and so far, 20 red beanies for Community Hospital Of Monterey Peninsula for February for Heart Awareness month for their newborns. I’m so very proud of my students and their philanthropy!
Thank you to:
Jan, Bailey, Lesley,
Heather
,
Patty, & Beverly’s for your kind donations of red yarn. We enjoyed snacking on red snacks (my principal’s idea) and passionately knitting for 2 hours instead of our daily 20 minutes. by Sarah L
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It Begins at Home...Drug Prevention is a Family Affair
Presenter, Jonathan Scott, Educator and Prevention Specialist, believes that the best prevention begins at home.
Don't miss this data-driven evening of advice and practical insights into parenting adolescents in an age of drug legalization. Kids are faced with more substances, in more forms, than ever before. As a professional speaker, author, recovered addict, and parent, Jonathan's relatable, funny perspective creates a safe atmosphere in which to discuss this difficult topic.
Our free Parent Education workshops offer parents, guardians and other adults a front row seat to experts who bring a wealth of knowledge, advice, and research on topics central to parenting a 'tween/teen.
Books Written By Jonathan Scott
Recommended Resources
Conversations take place in Kirby School's Great Hall. Refreshments will be available at 6:30pm. Speakers begin at 7pm.
Parent Education Series: Drug Prevention Begins at Home,
Kirby School,
2/12, 7 - 8:30pm. RSVPs are appreciated. Email parented@kirby.org and we'll save you a seat!
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Ask Nicole: Raising Children With Special Needs
By Nicole M. Young, MSW
Raising children is like riding a wild roller coaster with exhilarating highs, terrifying lows, and unexpected twists and turns. Some parents love the action-packed roller coaster and find joy and laughter even in the midst of tantrums and attitudes. Other parents close their eyes and hold on for dear life. And when the wild ride ends each day, we catch our breath and get back in line to experience it all over again.
Now imagine being on that same wild roller coaster, but on a deserted island. This is an analogy I once heard from a family who has a child with special needs, or disability. They felt exhausted like many other parents, and also judged and isolated at times because their child had difficulty interacting with other people. Yet these parents also experienced the joys and rewards of parenting that led them to get in line to experience the wild ride every day.
Dear Nicole,
I have two daughters who are very strong-willed. However, I feel like they are “easy” compared to my 4-year old who has autism. He can say a few words but mostly uses gestures and sounds to tell us what he wants and gets angry (aggressive) when we don’t understand him. It’s hard to go anywhere with him because it’s so stressful. What should I do?
Ann
Dear Ann,
Children of all ages and abilities need safe and loving environments in order to become healthy, well-adjusted adults. And like their “typically-developing” peers, children with special needs benefit from having opportunities to develop new skills, form positive relationships and become active in their communities.
Here are some tips:
Spend quality time together.
This is the foundation for building positive relationships between all parents and children. Give your son brief and frequent attention throughout the day. Stop what you’re doing and talk or sit with him while he’s engaged in an activity that interests him. Although some children with special needs may not show an interest in or reciprocate the affection, the loving and consistent attention reassures them that their parents and caregivers are available when they’re needed.
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Have realistic expectations.
Children with special needs grow and learn at different rates, just like their typically-developing peers. Although that sounds obvious, it’s common to expect too much too soon and become disappointed or frustrated when children can’t do certain tasks. It can also be problematic if parents’ expectations are too low and they miss opportunities to teach their children important self-care, social and communication skills.
It’s equally important to have realistic expectations for yourself. Many parents of children with special needs experience strong emotions such as fear, guilt, grief, anger and resentment. This can lead parents to believe they should be available 24-hours a day, or they must protect their children from all hardships, which can lead to burnout or a sense of failure. Having realistic expectations is a form of self-care, which makes it easier for parents to remain calm, nurturing and available.
Teach your child to communicate what he wants.
Someone once said, “All behavior is communication.” This is particularly true for children who have limited verbal communication. Yelling, screaming and biting are often children’s way of expressing emotions, asking for attention or help, or avoiding unpleasant tasks or situations.
These behaviors can be replaced by teaching children to communicate with short phrases, sign language, pictures, printed words, or gestures.
If your son gets frustrated when he needs help, teach him to point to a picture that represents help.
Get his attention, then prompt him to ask for help by saying, “Point to the Help picture.” At first, you may need to gently guide his finger to point to the picture. Keep practicing this, and give descriptive praise each time he points to the picture – “Nice job asking for help!” Eventually he will learn to ask for help with fewer prompts and less physical guidance.
Final Thoughts:
All children need love, affection, security, and opportunities to develop important life skills. Although their level of independence and abilities may vary, children with special needs can become adults who live full and meaningful lives. It all begins with finding a way off the deserted island and riding the wild roller coaster with all the other exhilarated, exhausted parents.
Nicole Young is the mother of two children, ages 16 and 19, who also manages Santa Cruz County's Triple P - Positive Parenting Program, the world's leading positive parenting program. Triple P parenting class or practitioner:
http://triplep.first5scc.org
, or
www.facebook.com/triplepscc
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