Free Day to Productive Play: Tips for Leisure Enrichment

Take a family field trip to the Frost Science Museum or serve a meal together at the Chapman Partnership for the Homeless. Concoct together a power ball snack in the kitchen with oatmeal, peanut butter, flax seed, and honey. Encourage your teen to intern in a law office, take a coding camp, or go virtual and explore academic online courses. With President's Day, spring break,k and perpetual teacher workdays fast approaching, parents get creative and help your children seize the free days with productive, educational, and enriching home and community activities.

Endless Parenting: The Good and the Bad

The idea of "Endless Parenting” – a concept where parental responsibilities extend well into a child's adulthood - has become an increasing reality in present-day families. While some may view this as over the top or excessively burdensome to parents, others see it as the natural extension of building strong familial bonds when kids are children. However you view it, what is apparent is that parenting today differs significantly from previous generations.

According to a 2023 Harris Poll for Bloomberg, up to 45% of young adults aged 18 to 29 now live with their parents. But is this trend beneficial, or does it hinder independence and how should parents and their children come to understand endless parenting?

Tips to Prevent Your Child From a Dog Bite

Many of us know the line that a dog is a man’s best friend. The fact that over 40% of American households own a dog shows that they can add so much love and fun to a family. Social media is filled with reels of adorable dogs and babies together that can warm anyone’s heart. But even the cutest dog can have a bad day.

Unfortunately, there are about 4.5 million dog bites in the U.S. each year. Children are more likely to get bitten by dogs than adults are. Children are also more likely to have more serious injuries like ones on the head, face, or neck and often require medical attention.

The Champions for Children Awards Ceremony is Back in April

The Children’s Trust’s Champions for Children Award Ceremony is back for its 19th annual celebration of the individuals and organizations that inspire the entire child advocacy community. This year’s ceremony will celebrate the stories and accomplishments of honorees who were selected among an incredible pool of community members who serve children and families in Miami-Dade County.

The Trust’s signature celebration will be held at Jungle Island on April 30 with individual tickets and tables available for purchase to the public. The Trust created the Champions for Children Awards to recognize and honor the dedication, commitment, and hard work of individuals and organizations that have gone above and beyond in their efforts to support the well-being of children. The awards highlight those who have made a lasting impact through advocacy, direct service, youth leadership, and innovative and effective programming.

READy, Set, Go Miami! – Every Moment Can be a Learning Moment

READy, Set, Go Miami! is an exciting community initiative celebrating its third year dedicated to supporting parents and caregivers in preparing young children (ages 0-5) for success through fun and engaging early literacy activities. Developed as part of the Miami-Dade Grade-Level Reading Campaign, this initiative provides families with the tools and resources to help their little ones build strong early literacy skills right from the start.

Looking for an after-school program for your child? Check out the More After-School Choices page for hundreds of free and low-cost after-school programs

The Children’s Trust Parent Club offers FREE, countywide workshops on relevant topics about raising children that are successful, healthy, and happy. 

Do you like what you are reading in this month's Parenting Our Children Newsletter? Let us know with comments, suggestions and more at MyStories@TheChildrensTrust.org