This is a very special Mothers Day for me as my son and his wife made me a grandmother last September.   I am filled with the joy of having a baby in my life again  (although she lives quite far away).  All the overwhelming, emotional feelings Motherhood come rushing back to me in a way they haven’t for years.   The absolute miracle of a baby, the worry, guilt, joy and all consuming role that being a Mother bestows on us. Being a parent is the hardest job you will ever do.  It pays the biggest dividends too.  Babies and young children grow ever too quickly and we need to treasure each day and stage – for the fun, marvel and challenges they provide us.   To all the Mothers reading this post – hug your little ones; or not so little ones, a bit tighter this Sunday and feel proud for the very important privilege you have of being their Mother.  Take a moment and listen to Amy Sky sing Ordinary Miracles and feel the emotion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NagoRWma34s

Have a GREAT week! 

Is there an early learning professional who has made a difference in your life or the life of your child? 

Nominations are due June 30, 2013.  Take a few minutes and make a big difference!  The 2013 Early Childhood Educator Awards Banquet will be held  Thursday,  November 7, 2013 at the Best Western.    

Contact Sharon Brooks info@kidscanfly.ca  or 519 448 1713 for more information.

Download and print nomination form:  ECE Award Nomination Package 2013 doc

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/VQV9KLH

Telephone support eyed for mothers with ‘baby blues’

By Michelle Ruby, Brantford Expositor

Thursday, May 2, 2013 9:50:36 EDT PM

It has been almost a year since a local support group gathered with the aim to help women facing the challenges of life with a new baby.

“We opened on Mother’s Day,” said Jane Flinders, who leads the group. “I’ll never forget the first day. We thought, Will anyone come? Then three or four women showed up. We were very pleased with the initial turnout.”

While The Parachute Program — Transitioning to Parenthood isn’t a medical or therapeutic group, it offers support to women, some of whom may be suffering postpartum depression.

Sharon Brooks, executive director of Kids Can Fly, said the program is helping to fill what she calls a “huge gap in services in the community.

“At least one in six women experience PPD,” said Brooks. “We’re reaching some who wouldn’t have otherwise been helped but, of course, we’re not reaching everyone.

“The stigma of PPD causes some people to not want to come.”

Statistics indicate that there are about 1,500 births a year in Brantford and Brant County.

Stats also estimate that four in five new mothers experience “baby blues,” a condition that includes symptoms of sadness, crying spells, poor concentration and irritability that lasts up to 14 days.

But about 20% of women experience postpartum depression when these symptoms and others get worse or last longer than two weeks.

Women suffering PPD also may feel as if they’re not bonding with their babies and could be having scary thoughts of harming themselves and/or their infants. Many feel guilty and ashamed, hopeless, anxious and restless.

Flinders estimated that 25 new mothers and a couple of new fathers have come through the program over the past year.

One of those moms is Annette (not her real name), who joined the group when her daughter was about four weeks old.

“I didn’t have those good feelings you expect to have towards my child,” she said. “I had thoughts of throwing her against the wall, of putting my hands over her nose and mouth or dropping her on the floor.

“I was afraid to say anything. People would think, ‘How horrible a mother are you?”

Annette said she would try to clear her head of the awful thoughts. When she had courage enough to confide in her doctor about her feelings, she said she received little help.

In January 2012, Brooks and several others formed the Brant Working Group for PPD. Brooks said the group polled 50 family doctors and their staff, asking them if they knew where to seek help for PPD. Almost 70% of them said they did not.

A PPD support program, housed at the Early Years Centre and run by the Brant County Health Unit, was discontinued about four years ago.

The health unit can help with diagnosis, education and referral from mothers showing symptoms of PPD, but only within the bounds of its existing programs. Dr. Malcolm Lock, medical officer of health, has said the health unit’s budget doesn’t allow for a specific PPD program.

Annette said it was six months before she was diagnosed with PPD after a chance meeting with a nurse when she was seeking some support for breast feeding.

“I wasn’t looking for help anymore,” said Annette. “I had given up.”

At the Parachute Program, Annette said she felt for the first time that she was being recognized as a mother from people outside of her family.

“Even if people don’t think they’re experiencing PPD, it’s a safe place to talk about the feelings moms have. The program has made such a difference in my life.”

Now being treated with a low dose of anti-anxiety medication and attending the group regularly, Annette said she is coping well with her now 10-month-old.

The drop-in Parachute Program, held every Wednesday from

1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. at St. Andrew’s Church, 95 Darling St., begins with a music time followed by time when volunteers tend to the babies while moms gather in a lounge area for a cup of tea.

Sometimes there is a guest speaker — a family doctor, a psychiatrist, a cognitive behavioural therapist, dieticians and early childhood educators have all volunteered to talk to the group. There are also regular yoga sessions.

Sometimes PPD “survivors” come to share their stories.

“We’ve seen how women support each other,” said Brooks. “That is probably doing as much good as anything.”

But Flinders said “it’s always a concern who we aren’t reaching.”

Brooks said they have applied for additional funding for the program, which receives most of its money from Kids Can Fly and the city.

She said the next step is to create a peer-to-peer telephone support program for women struggling with the demands of being new mothers.

“When women come here they often look like they’re holding it together so well,” said Flinders. “They look great. But everybody has their story.”

Tracy Woodford, a research co-ordinator at St. Joseph’s Women’s Health Concerns Clinic in Hamilton, is part of the working group for the Parachute Program.

She has been a presenter and a guest at several meetings.

“We are certainly very blessed to have the new Parachute Program,” said Woodford. “But I think the community as a whole could definitely be doing more. I think we could be doing more to educate the public about postpartum depression so that people understand what it is, that it is common and that it doesn’t discriminate across age, race, or socio-demographic.

“It would also be great to see more health-care providers specializing in women’s mental health issues in the community who could address the needs of women suffering from PPD so they didn’t have to face lengthy referral times or need to commute to other cities for help.”

 http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/2013/05/02/telephone-support-eyed-for-mothers-with-baby-blues

 http://boundless.utoronto.ca/initiatives/fraser-mustard-institute-of-human-development-ihd/

How mothers talk to their little ones —

and how often — is important in building vocabulary and early literacy skills.

 

The Toronto Star article points out the value of picture books.  They encourage parents/adults to initiative conversations with the child about the pictures and is a play-oriented activity.  More complex talk takes place and helps to build vocabulary and early literacy skills.    Children are asked to make predictions – “What do you think is going to happen next?”   Children’s imaginations are tweaked.  “Where do you think the duck is going?”

For full article go to www.thestar.com/life/parent/2013/04/28/wordless_books_encourage_more_complex_conversation_with_toddlers_research_finds.html

Put Down your Phone – Pick up your Child! 

The OPP just began a campaign called “Put Down your Phone and Leave it Alone” to prevent distracting driving.  Kids Can Fly suggests to “Put down your Phone and Pick up your Child” to prevent distraction from your child when you are with your child.  Kids Can Fly is continuing with our campaign to urge parents to resist using electronics when you are interacting with your baby or children.  We know all too well how addictive it is to respond immediately to text messages.  However your young child does not and the constant distraction of message coming in and being sent out does not allow you to focus on your most precious possession.  There is a recorded increase of accidents involving young children as parents (moms and dads) are distracted with electronics and toddlers fall out of grocery carts, touch dangerous objects or dart into traffic.  Try to develop some rules for yourself around cell phone-electronic use.   You deserve to have some time to yourself to check Facebook – message back or chat to friends.  However this needs to have some boundaries so that it is not interfering with nurturing your child.   

When you take the baby/kids for a walk on a lovely spring day – talk to them! Point out the beautiful spring flowers, describe their colours and perhaps count them.  Listen for birds chirping, touch the new growing grass and interact without distractions. Read a story outside in the sunshine.  You will enjoy the enthusiasm from your children that even the most simple things can prompt.

Be 100% THERE for your children. When they are napping or engaged in playing later on – give yourself a break to connect with others.

May is Mental Health Month. 

Kids Can Fly is deeply involved in helping to build supports for women in our community who suffer from postpartum depression (PPD)- a common, short term post natal condition. One in six women will experience PPD and we are committed to providing education and support to help them and their family through this.  Last May we started the New Parachute Program – Transitioning to Parenthood which is a reinvention of our former mom and baby program.  This weekly drop in is geared to support any mom who is feeling challenged after the birth of her baby.  This may be due to a fussy baby, no family support in town, being a single or teen mom, having symptoms of postpartum depression, being a newcomer immigrant or sleep deprivation. 

All are welcome – there is no cost and we have a free taxi service if you need it.  Call Brant Taxi  519-752-1010 and request a car seat.  The Parachute Program is facilitated by well known, experienced Early Childhood Educator – Jane Flinders,  Call her for more details.  519-755-9482 .

The group meets on Wednesday afternoons between 1:30 and 3:00 p.m. at St Andrews Church, 95 Darling St in Brantford.   There is a music time with baby and then caring volunteers baby mind while moms have a break, a cup of tea and a chat.

Go to www.kidscanfly.ca/the-parachute-club/  for additional information or for other local supports  go to www.eycbrant.ca/ppd or speak to your doctor.

The Midnight Movie Marathon was another GREAT event!  Thanks SO MUCH to Mike Cripps and his wonderful volunteer staff at the Galaxy Cinema for allowing us to hold this fundraiser and supporting us in every aspect!

It was fun and there were absolutely NO issues with any of the participants!!  This makes five years in a row that we have been able to say that!

Thank you to Future Shop for giving us a great deal on the 29″ LCDTV to raffle off.  The prize was claimed with ticket number   463912.

Thanks to Sharon, Sarah, Jeanne, Paige, Nora, Patti K, Patti B, Terry and his wife, Lisa, Michelle, and Cathie for coming to volunteer-it was a great TEAM effort. 

A special shout out to Cakes by Jen http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cakes-by-Jen/312254508831493 for the adorable and delicious cake for all the volunteers.