|
|
May 2021
A publication of the Howard County Office of Children and Families
Family Institute
|
|
Children's Mental Health Matters
Awareness Week, May 2 - 8
Learn more about children's mental health and view resources to help ensure all children have what they need to be successful. Mental health refers to a person’s overall behavioral, social, emotional and psychological well-being. Mental health impacts how we think, feel, and act, including how a child feels about themselves, relates to other children and adults, and handles change, stress and other life situations. Early awareness highlights the importance of caring for every child’s mental health and reinforces that positive mental health is essential to a child’s healthy development.
During this week, children will learn ways to help themselves and others feel better when they are experience big emotions and how to take good care of their physical, social and mental health. Each day, families will receive short mental health activities to do at home and additional information to boost mental health awareness and engagement with your community through scheduled events. If you are interested in receiving information, register here.
|
|
To see daily ideas about Children's Mental Health activities, like Launch Into Learning's Facebook page. |
|
May Workshops
Worries, Concerns and Apprehensions
Young children have anxiety and parents can help children learn positive ways to cope during difficult times. The changes, stress and uncertainty of COVID has increased children's worries. Review the signs and the symptoms of worry in children. This workshop allows time to ask questions to a mental health professional on how to help your family. For pre-k through elementary age.
Thursday, May 6, 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. Free Virtual Workshop. Register here
Yoga Me a Story
Children and families are invited to go on a virtual yoga adventure for children up to the age of eight. Gail Newman, pre-k teacher and certified yoga instructor, will guide the children through the benefits of yoga with a journey of play and storytelling assisted with the guidance and imagination.
Saturday, May 8, 10:30 to 11:00 a.m. Free Virtual Event. Register here
Nothing I Do Works! A Parent’s Guide to Challenging Behaviors
Do not allow tantrums, power struggles or misbehavior make life difficult in your household. Learn how you can help decrease the incidence of negative behaviors and what to do when they occur. Ask questions and learn skills and resources that you can use to help you feel more confident in your parenting. For parents of children ages two to eight.
Tuesday, May 11, 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. Free Virtual Workshop. Register here
Virtual Parent Café
Join to learn five protective factors for families and how you can keep yourself, your children and family strong! Meet other parents in an inviting virtual atmosphere while sharing and learning new ideas. This session's focus is social connections and getting concrete supports in time of need.
Tuesday, May 18, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Free Virtual Event. Register here
Parenting with Empathy
Empathy is the ability to recognize and understand the feelings of others. Join us in this virtual workshop as we explore empathy and discuss ways you can spark empathy in your child through everyday interactions. This is geared for caregivers of children birth to five.
Tuesday, May 25, 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. Free Virtual Workshop. Register here
|
|
The Basics Howard County supports Children’s Mental Health Month with its principle Maximize Love, Manage Stress. Children thrive when they are loved and well cared for. Build a strong bond and be emotionally present for your child to increase happiness, strengthen emotional health, and build self-control skills. Help your child express themselves by putting words to their feelings. Respond to their sounds, movement or behavior in a positive way. Comfort them when needed and cheer them on when they try new things. Be aware of stress in your life and focus on relieving it. Your emotions affect how your child feels about situations. Children learn to navigate the world by watching you, so model the values and behaviors you want to pass on to them by being kind or handling challenges calmly. For more information click here.
|
|
The Basics Howard County texting program is geared for families with children birth to three years. This programs provides tips on activities to enjoy with your child connecting evidence-based strategies for brain development. Sign up for the free Basics Insights text messaging here (available in English and Spanish). To learn more, visit here or email children@howardcountymd.gov.
|
|
Children's Messages:
Meaning Behind the Behaviors
Behaviors such as whining, defiance, temper tantrums, and aggression can be difficult to handle as a parent. These behaviors often seem to come out of nowhere and it can feel like nothing can stop them. In order to stop these difficult behaviors, we must first understand why they are happening. Challenging behaviors are messages from our children who often do not have the verbal, emotional or self-regulation skills to express their needs in a calm way. Instead, they use behaviors such as temper tantrums and whining to communicate. Here are four common reasons for challenging children's behaviors:
- To gain something (a toy, screen time, etc.)
- To avoid something (bedtime, errands, etc.)
- To achieve unmet basic need (being hungry, tired, sick)
- Has a sensory need (the environment is too loud or overwhelming)
When you better understand and support your child, it allows you to work through the challenge together and teach new skills instead of undesired behavior.
Monthly Challenge: The next time your child displays a difficult behavior, stop and ask yourself, “What is my child trying to communicate to me right now and how can I help him/her through this?”.
|
|
Survey to High-Quality Child Care and Early Learning Center in Howard County
United Way of Central Maryland is opening a family center in Columbia in December 2021. It will serve as a licensed, high-quality child care and early learning center that is more affordable and accessible to families experiencing economic hardship and families seeking new childcare opportunities. The center will serve children ages eight weeks through four years and have a full-time licensed social worker on staff who can connect families to the social services they may need. This consumer survey is intended to offer insight into prospective families, where they are located within the county, and their child care needs.
If you have any questions or would like to learn more about this initiative, contact
|
|
Resources for Child Care and Preschool |
|
Maryland Excels
Mascot Kacey, the Quality Koala, engages families and helps them understand the importance of quality child care and early education. Maryland Excels is a resource for families searching for high-quality child care. Referred programs exceed state requirements and continue to improve the quality of care to meet your child’s needs. Kacey provides information on what quality child care looks like and shares activities with your child. Click here.
|
|
LOCATE: Child Care
LOCATE: Child Care is a free, personalized resource, referral and counseling service to help you choose high-quality child care to meet your needs. This program can assist you in your search for care for an infant, school aged child or a camp. It also offers resources for families of children with special needs. For more information, contact the CARE Line
410-313-2273 or email children@howardcountymd.gov .
|
|
Child Care Scholarship Program
Effective May 1, the Maryland State Department of Education will have a new Child Care Central vendor to process all Child Care Scholarship (CCS) applications. The CCS (formerly known as Child Care Subsidy) Program provides financial assistance with child care costs for eligible working families. For information, click here or contact the CARE Line 410-313-2273 or children@howardcountymd.gov
|
|
Encouraging Optimism: Help Kids Navigate the Last Uncertain Phase of the Pandemic
COVID vaccinations are ramping up and the end of the pandemic may be in sight. However, for some children who have gone through this past year with uncertainty and disappointment, there are still challenges. Children are experiencing anxiety and depression even as the country re-opens. During this pandemic things that children looked forward to were disrupted, postponed, and cancelled. With so much going on, many are impatient for everything to return to normal, but some experience feelings of anxiety rather than excitement. Child Mind Institute provides tip to help families remain optimistic. Click here to learn about ways to encourage optimism and help children navigate their world. Click for Spanish.
|
How to Use the Power of Positive Attention
to Change Behavior
According to Child Mind Institute, dealing with difficult behavior is the primary reason parents seek the help of mental health professionals for their children. Understanding a child’s behavior can be difficult. They may disrupt class, have tantrums, or defy instructions. There are strategies to help families deal with challenging behaviors and help children learn how to manage their emotions. Research has proven that giving children positive attention is much more effective than negative attention to change behavior. For more information on the Power of Positive Attention click here. (Spanish)
|
|
Sesame Street Provides Ways to Express Emotions
Everyone needs ways to express their emotions and it is importantv to release bad feelings and celebrate the good ones. There are creative ways for your family to express emotions in a positive way:
Moody Hues- Use colors to talk about different feelings. You might start with blue and take turns mixing in black and white. What do the different shades feel like? Invite kids to create a feelings painting. You could also use paper and glue to make a collage.
Feelings Journal- Have your child decorate the cover of a journal or notebook. Together, you can look through magazines and cut out feelings words, pictures that make you feel calm, or expressive positive emotions. When you’re done, encourage kids to write down their feelings from the day. This is great for grown-ups, too!
Fingerprint Faces- Using washable ink, marker or paint, help kids make a page full of fingerprints. When the fingerprints are dry, draw different faces on them and label their expressions. For additional activities click here.
|
|
Resilience Break: Talking About Race, Kids and Health
Friday, May 7, 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. /To register, click here
Join Maryland Behavioral Health Integration in Pediatric Primary Care (BHIPP) for a presentation featuring pediatrician, speaker and writer, Jacqueline Dougé, MD, MPH, FAAP. By the end of the session, participants will be able to:
- Discuss the role of pediatric health care providers to address race and racism to address child and adolescent health
- Discuss how healthcare providers can develop cross-sector collaborations to improve health outcomes
- Use books to open and further the conversations about race, kids and health
|
|
 |
Enjoy the Milestone Moments
The first few years go by fast and there are many milestones to celebrate! With the newest version of CDC’s FREE Milestone Tracker app, it’s easier to keep track of how your little one plays, learns, speaks, acts, and moves at every age. Find fun and easy activities to support them along the way. Learn more about how this app can help you support your child’s growth. Also available in Spanish. Look for all materials to support your child's development here: https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/freematerials.html
|
|
|
|
Guiding Good Choices
Sponsored by HC DrugFree
Free parenting classes for Howard County parents/guardians of nine to 14 year-olds.
Tuesdays, May 4, 11, June 1, 8, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.
The sessions cover:
- How to Prevent Drug Use in Your Family
- How to Develop Healthy Beliefs and Clear Standards while Strengthening Family Bonds
- Avoiding Trouble: How to Say No to Drugs
- Managing Conflict: How to Control and Express Your Anger Constructively
Parents/guardians are expected to attend all four classes. Children ages nine to 14 may attend the third session. If your child is slightly younger or older, complete the registration form and HC DrugFree will review a possible option to attend. Register here or learn more.
|
|
Mobile COVID-19 Testing Sites
Mobile COVID-19 Testing Sites are coming to many areas in the Howard County community.
- No appointment needed
- No upfront cost collection
- No self-pay testing
For locations and dates click here.
|
|
CAREAPP- Connecting People and
Programs in Howard County
CAREAPP is a Howard County Health Department sponsored website that connects people to community programs and services. Search over 1,700 programs serving the county. Learn more at FindHCResources.org For questions or more information, email askhealth@howardcountymd.gov.
|
|
Play with Your Food: Pancake Animals
that Make Breakfast Fun
Invite some happy bears, bunnies and other friends to the table in the morning. As an adult, you may think the best pancakes are
plentiful and stacked high, but for kids, pancakes are the building blocks for creative shapes, designs and breakfast sculptures. Kids love to help out in the kitchen, so let them as much as they can. Find ways for them to prepare, cook and serve these delicious pancake animals from the Food Network.
|
|
The Howard County Library System offers a variety of online classes for all ages. Check out what’s available in May.
Family Time: Mighty Mom and Minds
Sat., May 1, 11:00 to 11:30 a.m., Ages 0 to 5
Interactive language and literacy-based activities to engage the whole family. This class has been prerecorded. View the calendar for registration.
Fun with Spanish @ Oakland Mills Online
Wed., May 5, 4:00 to 4:45 p.m., Ages 5 to 10
Have you, your child, or the whole family always wanted to learn Spanish? New vocabulary introduced each week. Click on the website to access the link to join the online class the day of the event https://www.oaklandmillsonline.com/.
Lego Engineering Challenge
Fri., May 7, 4:00 to 5:00 p.m., Ages 9 and up
Each week watch a brief video to receive new challenges, then create and engineer designs. View the calendar for registration.
Steam Saturday
Sat., May 8, 11:00 to 11:30 a.m., Ages 5 and up
Explore topics in science, technology, engineering, art, and math. Join in the fun, quick and easy activities and book suggestions that support learning and reading.
Class #9: Expressing our Feelings through Art. View calendar for registration.
Rainbow Reads for Kids
Sat., May 15, 10:15 to 11:00 a.m., All ages/families
Join Children's Instructor and Research Specialist, Laci Radford, in a safe space where we'll explore a beautiful rainbow of LQBTQIA+ picture books and the importance of representation in children's media. This presentation is part of the HoCo Rainbow Conference. To register, click here; f or a list of additional sessions, click here.
|
|
Low Intensity Support Services (LISS)
LISS is a program of the Developmental Disabilities Administration that provides up to $2000 to assist eligible children and adults with developmental disabilities with purchasing eligible services and/or items to address their needs. LISS improves the quality of life for eligible individuals and promotes independence and community integration. It is flexible to meet the needs of children as they grow and for adults.
The “Open Season” schedule is:
FY 2022 - Round 1 The online access opens May 1-June 30. Random Selection July 15
FY 2022 - Round 2 The online access opens July 16- November 30. Random Selection December 15
|
|
Stillborn and Infant Loss Support
Wednesday, May 26
$40 handbook and materials
Stillborn and Infant Loss Support (SAILS) is launching an eight-week Pregnancy and Infant Loss (PAIL) Grief Recovery Group Program, bringing together parents who are going through or have gone through similar experiences. PAIL provides parents the opportunity to share their experience, feelings, and coping strategies. The group follows the Grief Recovery Method’s curriculum. Parents will attain the tools needed to process their grief-related emotions with the goal of regaining a sense of hope and purpose in their live. For more information, book a call.
|
|
|
|
If you were forwarded this e-mail and would like to receive the latest Parent Pages news and updates directly, sign up today! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
