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A publication of the Howard County Office of Children and Families
Family Institute
December 2022
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Visit the Family Institute online to view full descriptions of all workshops and register!
What are parents saying about our workshops?
“I enjoyed your presentation this evening. Many participants had their cameras on and participated in the chat box. It's so wonderful that parents have access to such great resources for building their caregiver toolkits.”
Brain Builders: Optimizing your infant’s early brain development
This program is designed for parents of babies up to six months of age. Babies are primed to start learning from the day they are born and there is ample science about how to support them during this critical time in their development. Through this interactive workshop, parents and caregivers will gain an understanding of an infant’s developing brain and how simple daily interactions and activities can be learning moments that support brain connections. Learn how to develop a secure attachment with your baby to create effective learning pathways. Explore community resources that can support your family on this developmental journey and help ensure a healthy and strong beginning for your baby. (Infants allowed to attend and will receive a free take-home gift.)
Wednesday, Dec. 7, 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
In-person: 9830 Patuxent Woods Drive, Columbia 21046
Free workshop, Register here.
Social Media for Elementary Parents:
Helping children practice smart habits and stay safe online
Some children may receive new devices as presents during this holiday season. Staying safe online goes hand in hand with staying safe in the real world, so having rules in place beforehand is important. In this virtual workshop, we will explore:
- How to help your child learn some of the necessary tools to remain safe online.
- Keep the communication open while children learn, play, and explore the internet.
- Monitoring appropriate content, limiting screen time and safety tips for young children to follow when online, using apps or mobile phones.
Thursday, Dec. 8, 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. Free virtual workshop. Register here
Nothing I Do Works: A parent’s guide to challenging behaviors
The Pyramid Model is a comprehensive, research-based approach that considers all of the factors that impact a child, a family and a child's behavior. Learn how to help decrease the incidence of negative behaviors and what to do if they occur. Ask questions and leave with skills and resources that you can use immediately to help you feel more confident in your parenting. For parents of children ages two to eight.
Wednesday, Dec. 14, 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. Free virtual workshop. Register here
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Parents of young children, do you want to keep up on parenting information and events that happen throughout the county? Follow Launch Into Learning on Facebook for weekly posts to learn more about being connected to your community!
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Reduce holiday meltdowns
The holiday season is a great time to share laughter and enjoy the company of loved ones. It can also be a stressful and frustrating time for families with young children. With all the excitement, new routines, and unfamiliar situations, children can become overstimulated, which can lead to meltdowns. While it can be challenging to manage meltdowns, here are strategies you can use to help prevent them or decrease the intensity:
Visual schedule: Provide your child with a schedule of events and review it frequently. Schedules help children know what to expect, especially when the routines are different from normal. Review the new schedule in advance and throughout the day to remind your child what is coming next.
Role play: Acting out situations prepares children for the expectations of upcoming events. For instance, if your child can’t wait to open presents, set aside time to practice opening presents. Wrap small gifts, or even empty boxes, and practice silly ways to open them. When it’s time to open the real presents, you can remind them of how you practiced.
Prepare for sensory sensitivities: If your child becomes overstimulated, plan to incorporate breaks from crowds, bring headphones or earmuffs to decrease the noise level, or bring a change of clothes you know your child is comfortable wearing.
Practice co-regulation: Co-regulation is when the adult presents as calm and regulated, helping a child to find their calm. If your child does have a meltdown, take them to a quiet area to help them calm down. Hold your child, take deep breaths, count to 10 slowly, or offer a gentle touch. The holidays are a joyous time to celebrate with loved ones; using these strategies can prevent meltdowns and keep the holiday spirit alive.
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Gift disappointment
What do you do if your child starts pouting after receiving gifts this holiday
During the holidays, there may be times when your child pouts, complains, or expresses feelings about something they didn't get. It’s easy to react and criticize when we feel like they are being ungrateful. But, children can be grateful AND disappointed at the same time, especially if they had an expectation of something that didn’t happen. Watch the video clip from Tina Payne Bryson to learn tips to navigate a disappointing moment.
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Introducing your child to reading exposes them to language at an early age and can help develop positive feelings associated with books! While telling stories, point to pictures and read out loud to help your child associate words with images. After finishing a book, ask your child questions about the story and see what they recall. This helps train your child to not only learn, but retain information.
Here are more helpful tips:
- Show interest in the child's book of choice
- Engage children during story time by allowing them to turn the pages of the book
- Describe the pictures and colors featured in the book
Free Basics text messages are now available to age 5
To learn more about exploring through movement and play with your children and the other pillars of The Basics movement, click here. The Basics is a program for children from birth to age 5. To receive information specifically for your child’s developmental stage, sign up for Basics Insights FREE text messages here (a vailable in English or Spanish).
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Seasonal activities for families
Midnight Madness in Ellicott City
Visit Old Ellicott City for the 44th annual Midnight Madness on December 2 to watch the tree lighting at B&O Museum plaza at 5:30 p.m., and stay until midnight to enjoy the festivities on Main Street. There will be performances by local high schools’ bands and choirs, a meet and greet with Santa and the Grinch, and opportunities to shop and eat at OEC’s many shops and restaurants. Check out the Ellicott City Partnership's website for more details.
Reindeer Games at the Harriet Tubman Cultural Center
Stop by the Center on December 9, 5 to 7 p.m. for holiday-themed arts & crafts, indoor games, and more! Cost: $5 per child (ages 6-11). For more information, visit Howard County Rec & Parks' website.
Frozen Fest at the Robinson Nature Center
From 10 to 3 p.m. on December 10, enjoy winter-themed science experiments, go on a scavenger hunt, and so much more! Entry is $7 for members, $10 for nonmembers. More information on the Center's website.
B&O Museum - Holiday Train Garden
Visit Old Ellicott City’s B&O museum to see the holiday model train garden. Free for all visitors and recommended for the whole family, it's open every day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. through January 8. For more details and museum hours, visit the Museum's website.
Savage Mill Yuletide Festival & Bollman Bridge Lighting
Ring in the holiday season at the Savage Mill Yuletide Festival, now through December 18. Shop local, meet Santa on the weekends, and enjoy musical performances throughout the festival. Don't miss the beautiful Bollman Bridge lighting on December 3 at 6 p.m. Visit Savage Mill's website to explore the many ways you can celebrate the holidays this season.
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Tis the season to give back
While the holidays are a great time to give gifts and see family, it’s also a perfect time to reflect on year's blessings. Between writing holiday cards, shopping for gifts, balancing finances, and coordinating holiday meals, look for unique opportunities to start new traditions and make lasting memories by giving to others!
Donating to those less fortunate, volunteering or performing random acts of kindness will not only have a positive impact on the recipients, it can also help you and your family capture the real meaning of the holidays.
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Potty Training Basics
Thursday, Dec. 8, 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. FREE virtual workshop, register here
Join Maryland Coalition of Families and Molly the Autism Consultant for this workshop to prepare you and your toddler for successful potty training!
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Indoor activities to keep your children engaged
As we approach the cold winter months, it can be difficult to find activities to keep your children engaged and to provide them with physical and creative outlets to promote positive development across all the developmental domains (language, cognitive, motor, physical, and social-emotional). Here are some ideas to support healthy development:
- Use cushions, chairs, or other easy-to-move furniture to create an indoor obstacle course that promotes crawling, climbing, walking, or jumping and promotes motor development
- Make your own snacks using ingredients you have on hand, and let your child help put together his/her snack of the day. This is a great way to infuse learning across all developmental domains
- Go on a letter or word hunt - ask your child to find an object that start with a certain letter or has a certain letter sound in it to promote language development
- Create a book using your child’s drawings to promote language development
- Freeze dance to promote self -regulation
- Create a sensory bin using rice, beans, or uncooked pasta to promote fine motor, cognitive, language, social-emotional development skills.
For additional ideas, click on the links below.
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HCRP Winter Activity Guide
Howard County Department of Recreation & Parks 2023 Winter Activity Guide is NOW available online. With a wide range of programs, activities, classes and sports, there is something for everyone to keep those winter blues away!
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Support Project Holiday
Make the holidays brighter for older adults
Each year, the Office of Aging and Independence’s Project Holiday delivers holiday gifts to residents of assisted living facilities, nursing homes, and older adults in our community who would otherwise not receive any. In past years, the community’s generous support has made it possible for us to make the holidays a little brighter for more than 100 older adults in Howard County; with your help, we can reach even more this year. Requested donations include new, bottles of lotion, shampoo and conditioner; lip balm; toothbrushes and toothpaste; hats, scarves, mittens and socks; and activity books (crossword puzzles, Sudoku, word searches).
Donations can be dropped off at Howard County 50+ Centers through December 2. If you would like to support Project Holiday through a monetary donation, email Terri Hansen at thansen@howardcountymd.gov. All donations will be sorted, wrapped and delivered to older adults in our community just in time for the holidays. Thank you for your support.
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Six steps to better sleep
With a variety of celebrations and school breaks this month, changes in schedules can lead to poor sleep.
The Mayo Clinic offers a variety of general tips for good sleep hygiene, including, “If you don't fall asleep within about 20 minutes of going to bed, leave your bedroom and do something relaxing. Read or listen to soothing music. Go back to bed when you're tired. Repeat as needed, but continue to maintain your sleep schedule and wake-up time.”
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Stick to a sleep schedule: Most healthy adults need seven to eight hours in bed to be well rested.
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Pay attention to what you eat and drink: Don't go to bed hungry or stuffed…be cautious of your intake of nicotine, caffeine and alcohol.
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Create a restful environment: Keep your room cool, dark and quiet…avoid prolonged use of light-emitting screens just before bedtime.
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Limit daytime naps: Limit naps to one hour or less and avoid napping late in the day.
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Include physical activity in your daily routine: Regular physical activity can promote better sleep. However, avoid being active too close to bedtime. Spending time outside every day might be helpful, too.
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Manage worries: Try to resolve your worries or concerns before bedtime. Jot down what's on your mind and then set it aside for tomorrow.
If these tips don’t resolve your difficulties sleeping, the Mayo Clinic suggests contacting your health care provider.
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Avoid holiday scams
The Howard County Office of Consumer Protection warns of expected holiday scams. Beware of phishing and smishing (phishing attempts via SMS text messages) scams disguised as delivery notices, gift card offers, or discounts at popular retailers. When buying gift cards, make sure they haven’t been tampered with; criminals can to steal the access codes and PIN, then drain gift cards before you have had a chance to give them. Track shipments and make sure you will be home or at work when delivered so you do not fall victim to porch pirates and mail marauders.
When shopping online, research new-to-you retailers before making a purchase by searching the business name with the terms “scam” or “complaint.” Never wire money, or use pre-paid gift cards or payment apps with unknown sellers. Before donating to a charity, make sure the exact name is licensed with the Maryland Secretary of State, and research them using Charity Navigator, Charity Watch, Give.org or GuideStar. Fake charities and scam PACs use names that sound like well-known charities. Finally, if you’re traveling, make sure that the offer isn’t too good to be true and that the vacation rental actually exists by checking the rental history.
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Free reading resources
Numerous studies have shown that reading with children from early in life encourages language development, as well as overall brain development. Children who are read to every day during their early childhood may enter Kindergarten having been exposed to over one million more words than their peers who were never read to. This increased vocabulary sets children from a literacy-rich home on the path to success from the start of their school careers.
You can find plenty of high-quality children’s books to borrow for free at any HCLS branch. If you bring a young child to one of the library classes, you can get a break from being the reader and learn fun ways to read with your child. Ask staff for book recommendations to read with your children and also let little ones choose some for themselves. For more suggested activities and materials to help children develop literacy skills, check out one of the Literacy Activity Kits. You may also select a toy to borrow and act out a story you’ve read or created on your own. Whatever books or materials you select, read early and often with young children to set them up for success in school and beyond. To find a Howard County Library branch near you, visit http://hclibrary.org/.
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Save the Date!
Saturday February 4, 2023
10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
North Laurel Community Center
9411 Whiskey Bottom Road / Laurel
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Parents as Teachers and Healthy Families
Howard County's Office of Children and Families (OCF) offers two home visiting programs for expectant families and families with a child under the age of five. OCF's home visiting programs include Healthy Families and Parents as Teachers, which:
- Are free of cost, voluntary, and culturally-sensitive
- Provide regular visits to your home by a trained home visitor able to share information with you about child development and parenting skills
- Refer families to additional community resources when needed
Home visiting programs are offered to families residing in Howard County. To request services or more information, call the Office of Children and Families at 410-313-1940(voice/relay) or email children@howardcountymd.gov. Click to view a home visiting flier in English or Spanish.
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Change a child's negative thought patterns
Children can be their own worst critics. This is particularly true for those with mental health disorders, who may be especially down on themselves. Watch this video from Child Mind Institute to learn how negative thought patterns affect children's lives, what are some of the most common negative thinking patterns and how you can help children address these patterns. Click to read the article in English or Spanish.
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Holiday tips from the Child Mind Institute
Here are some helpful tips from the Child Mind Institute to help families deal with the added stress of the holidays.
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Take the stress out of family gatherings - click to view in English and Spanish
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Tips to make your holidays kid-friendly - Build in flexibility, help kids rise to the occasion, and don't aim too high. English and Spanish
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Enjoy the holidays with mindfulness - Slow down and get more out of this busy season. English and Spanish
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Ten tips for raising grateful children - Kids may need a little help to show (and feel) appreciation. English and Spanish
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How to handle holidays after a death in the family - Grief can make special days harder. English and Spanish
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Divorce and holidays: How to help kids - Show your love by cooperating, not competing. English and Spanish
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