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Greetings!
EFC FAMILY HALLOWEEN PARTY
Please join us for our annual Halloween bash on
Thursday, October 24,
from 6:15-7:30pm. Our EFC staff will host a variety of age-appropriate games and activities. We will serve a light dinner for those of you who won’t be able to make it home before the party. Be sure to dress up—you too, mom & dad!
Please RSVP at the parent table.
If you can pick up your child by 5:30 that would be very helpful as we prepare for the big event!!
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LIONS KIDSIGHT VISION SCREENING
The Lions Club will be here
on Tuesday, October 22
, to provide vision screening for children 6 months and older. This service is offered free of charge. Specific details will be sent out before the screening along with a parent consent form. We are excited to provide this opportunity once again.
WONDER WEAVERS
The Wonder Weavers Storytellers will be here on
Tuesday, October 22, to share some stories with the children. The preschool show will begin at 3:30 with the toddlers following at 4:00.
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EFC CLOSURES
Especially for Children will be closed on
Thursday, November 28
, and
Friday, November 29
, for the Thanksgiving holiday
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JACK O' LANTERN QUESADILLAS
Ingredients
- Cooking spray, for pan
- 2 c. shredded rotisserie chicken
- Juice of 1/2 lime
- 1/2 tsp. chili powder
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 8 medium flour tortillas
- 3/4 c. shredded Cheddar
- 3/4 c. Shredded Monterey Jack
- 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- Hot sauce, for serving
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425° and grease a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, add chicken and toss with lime juice, chili powder, and garlic powder.
- Assemble quesadillas: Using a paring knife, cut a Jack-O'-Lantern pattern into 4 flour tortillas.
- Sprinkle chicken and cheese onto remaining 4 tortillas, and top with Jack-O'-Lanterns. Place quesadillas onto baking sheet, brush with oil, and bake until cheese is melty and tortillas are golden, 15 minutes. Serve with hot sauce.
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BUILDING RESILIENCE IN CHILDREN THROUGH “CONTRIBUTION”
Last month I had the opportunity to attend a community meeting at which two high school students provided opening statements. I was impressed by their confidence in front of a large group of adults as well as the articulate ways they expressed themselves. In addition, I found it inspiring that they were using their time and talents to contribute to the community around them.
One of the areas of social/emotional development we have
written about in the past is resiliency
. It is important for children to build skills that help them work through the inevitable challenges of life and not feel defeated by the obstacles they may face. Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg, who practices at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and has spent decades studying the topic, has developed a framework called
The 7 C’s: The Essential Building Blocks of Resilience
. The fifth C is Contribution, which is when children understand the world is a better place because they are in it. Dr. Ginsburg writes:
“Children who understand the importance of personal contribution gain a sense of purpose that can motivate them. They will not only take actions and make choices that improve the world, but they will also enhance their own competence, character, and sense of connection.”
We can begin affecting a child’s sense of Contribution at a young age. Some ideas of Contribution that young children can participate in include:
- Picking up trash on your next walk to or from a local park.
- Hosting a Little Free Library—or simply adding books to one.
- Drawing pictures, making baked goods, or even shoveling the sidewalk for an elderly neighbor.
- Choosing a favorite charity to which the whole family can contribute.
Does your family have special ways that foster the idea of Contribution? We’d love to hear comments
on our blog
that we can share.
Finally, Dr. Ginsburg encourages caregivers to think about the following questions as they relate to Contribution:
- Do I communicate to my child (at appropriate age levels, of course) that many people in the world do not have as much human contact, money, freedom, and security as they need?
- Do I teach the important value of serving others? Do I model generosity with my time and money?
- Do I make clear to my child that I believe she can improve the world?
- Do I create opportunities for each child to contribute in some specific way?
- Do I search my child’s circle for other adults who might serve as role models who contribute to their communities and the world? Do I use these adults as examples to encourage my child to be the best he can be?
Contribution can be a key ingredient in raising resilient children by empowering them with a sense of purpose and creating connections to others and the world around them.
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Angie Williams
EFC Marketing and Finance Director
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TWIN CITIES
FAMILY EVENTS
Apple Orchards & Pumpkin Patches
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Especially for Children
5015 W. 70 Street
Edina MN 55439
(952) 946-9971
Center Directors:
Susan Wilson and Michelle Botz
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