Let's Catch-up: January 2024
Our mission is to empower families to foster resilience and prioritize mental health and emotional wellness in their children through educational programming, access to resources, and peer support. 
Warm greetings from the CATCH team! 

The holiday hustle is behind us, and as we look to the year ahead, it's certain to bring new challenges.

What can you do to cope? Go easy on yourself.  Perhaps resolve to find the glimmers in the everyday.  

What are glimmers?

They are small, spontaneous moments when you feel calm, peaceful, present, and joyful. They help us see the beauty in the world and create space for gratitude. Glimmers ease the feelings of unrest and overwhelming worry.

Some suggestions: 

  • Linger just a bit longer over a warm cup of coffee.
  • Notice and enjoy the quiet with the kids back to school.
  • Appreciate comfy slippers at the end of a long day.
  • Choose time away from technology.  
  • See the birds at your window and watch them for a few moments.
  • Laugh at your dog gleefully enjoying the snow.
  • Answer the call from a loving friend, even if you’re exhausted.
  • Marvel at all the love in your home, especially on the tough days.

We see you, and you are glimmering.
In this Issue

  • Michelle Icard In Person This Month
  • Become the Parent You Want to Be: A Book Discussion
  • Mental Health & Wellness Fair
  • Parenting the Mental Health Generation Podcast
  • Parent Support Network
  • Community Events
Turning Your Child's Setbacks into Success
An In-Person Conversation with Michelle Icard
Tuesday, January 30, 2024 @ 7pm
Northbrook United Methodist Church

Your child’s mistakes or rebellions don't have to be the headline for their childhood.

Instead, those moments can become a launch pad to a better future.

Join us for an in-person conversation with Michelle Icard, author of 8 Setbacks That Can Make a Child a Success and Fourteen Talks by Age Fourteen.
Mark your calendar and bring a friend to this program designed for parents and caregivers of children of all ages.
Get an Autograph!

Staff from The Book Bin will join us to sell Icard's book, and the author herself will autograph your copy.
Become the Parent You Want to Be
A Book Discussion Facilitated by Linda Davis, Author of Food Fight
Wednesday, February 28, 2024, 7pm - 8pm
The Book Bin
1151 Church Street, Northbrook

Do you struggle with uncertainty and self-blame as a parent?

Join us for a conversation about Good Inside: A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be by Dr. Becky Kennedy, a psychologist often referred to as the Millennial Parenting Whisperer.

Her realistic and practical parenting model prioritizes connection over correction. It will help you find confidence and sturdy family leadership.

Good Inside is an effective resource for parenting kids of all ages, offering strategies to help children develop emotional intelligence and resilience.

Together, we’ll talk about how to implement her empowering solutions.
Northbrook D27 PTA Mental Health & Wellness Fair
Bring Wellness into the New Year!
Saturday, January 20th, 10am - 1pm
Shabonee School
1000 Pfingsten Rd, Northbrook
CATCH will be there!

Highlights:

  • 20+ vendors
  • Yoga demo @ 12:15pm
  • Students in grades 5-8 will have an opportunity to sign up for a free, weekly self-defense class with Stand Strong.
  • Healthy snacks
  • Raffle prizes

This event coincides with a supervised Basketball Open Gym from 10am - 12pm for children in grades K-5.
Parenting the Mental Health Generation
CATCH Podcast
Today's parenting challenges are unlike anything our parents faced. We are seeing more anxiety, bigger emotions, and new social struggles... all impacting our kids' mental health.

We talk about all of it on the CATCH podcast, Parenting the Mental Health Generation.

Whether you need help caring for a child with a mental illness or are wondering how to get your kid to open up at the dinner table, there's an episode for you.
Find the CATCH podcast anywhere you get your podcasts.
Parenting the Mental Health Generation is also available on the CATCH YouTube Channel.
Parent Support Network
CATCH Conversations

Are your child's mental health struggles impacting you and your family? Are you wondering how to start finding help?

We recommend seeking support for yourself first with a CATCH Conversation.

Sign up and a CATCH volunteer will reach out to schedule a time to talk, meet for a cup of coffee, or go for a walk to give you a chance to share what's going on and learn how CATCH can support you. 
Parents Connect: Peer Support
Plenty of parents are facing challenges raising children with mental health struggles. 

When we come together and support one another, we build a community that makes each day easier. 

Parents Connect groups are meeting weekly. Find the one that's right for you.
Looking for professional support?
CATCH is here to help you find a mental health provider.

Look through our lists of providers or send a confidential email to CATCH, and we will provide you with names of trusted practices that might meet your needs. 
Community Events
Compass & FAN: Strategies to Reduce Risk and Increase Resilience in LGBTQ+ Youth
Via Zoom
Wednesday, January 17, 7pm - 8pm

Compass Health Center and Family Action Network are hosting a free webinar focused on:

  • unique challenges faced by LGBTQ+ youth
  • pathways to active allyship & advocacy
Grit 2: School Refusal, Avoidance & Anxiety
via Zoom
Tuesday, January 23, 6:30pm-7:30pm  

School absenteeism is on the rise across the nation and Illinois with more kids asking to stay home, go in late, or leave early. During this program, parents will learn what's behind school refusal and how to respond to it.
Screenagers Under the Influence
Free Movie and Q & A Session
Thursday, February 1, 630pm
Youth Services of Glenview/Northbrook
3080 W. Lake Ave., Glenview
Screenagers Sponsors
We know that young people are exposed to many images of substance use and are likely to have friends and peers who are experimenting.

This film will help us discuss substance use openly and understand how we can support the young people in our community to make informed decisions and stay safe. 
DPN: Growing up in Public
In Person with Devorah Heitner, PhD
Tuesday, February 6, 7pm-830pm
Highland Park High School Auditorium

Using relatable stories and research-backed advice, Heitner helps parents cut through the overwhelm to connect with their kids, recognize how to support them, and guide them to figure out who they are when everyone is watching.

Sponsored by Deerfield Parent Network
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CATCH is dedicated to making a difference in our community.
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