Northern Berkshire Family Net News

August 2008
P.O. Box 172, North Adams, MA 01247  (413) 664-4821
Program Director: Amy Hall                                            Early Childhood Specialist: Mary Jo Belanger
                        Playgroup Coordinator: Nicole Benoit                            Playgroup Facilitator: Sandra King

Messy Fun in August
Messy Fun in July was rescheduled due to rain. We will try again on Monday, August 11th from 6:00-7:00 at the Haskins playground on State Street in North Adams. Come have a fun time playing with colored spaghetti, finger paints, clean mud, painting large boxes and more fun, messy art activities.

North Adams Greenhouse Field Trip –
Wednesday, August 13th
Join us for fun outdoor gardening activities with other parents and children at the North Adams Public School Greenhouse at 10:00 a.m. Call 664-4821 to register. There will be no Adams playgroup on that day. Cancelled in case of rain.

Back to School Shopping at Clothing Exchange
Need Back to School Clothes? The Family Net Clothing Exchange is stocked with free clothing for children sizes birth-7. The Book Swap shelf in the Clothing Exchange is always in need of gently used children’s books.  If you have children’s books to donate-you can drop them off at the Family Net office.

Bike Trail Walk in August
Plan to join other families for some outdoor fun. There will be another walk on the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail on Thursday, August 28th at. 10:00. Parents will meet at the Adams Visitor Center and walk the bike trail with strollers or carriers and plan to stop at the playground along the way. Parents are encouraged to participate and new parents are always welcome! It is a great way to exercise with the children. Thank you to parent, Laura Scholz for volunteering to lead the monthly bike walks.

Parent Recommended:
A parent found this really great FREE swap site and wanted to share with other parents. Just one more way to 'go green'. Here is the site: www.swapbabygoods.com  Submitted by Lora Peck.

Playgroup News and Updates

Family Net will not have playgroups the week of August 25th.  We will be transitioning our playgroups from outside to inside.

There will be No Williamstown Playgroup on September 1st for Labor Day. The Williamstown Monday playgroup moves inside on Monday, September 8th to the Williamstown Youth Center.

The Monday Night Gym Group at Haskins will start again on September 8 from 5:30-6:30.

The Cheshire Tuesday playgroup moves inside on Tuesday, September 9th to the Cheshire Senior Center.

The Lanesboro playgroup will end on Thursday, August 21st for the summer.

Family Net Day at Uncle Don’s Barnyard

Please join Family Net on Tuesday, August 19th   at 10:00 am at Ioka Valley Farm in Hancock for a fun morning with animals, farm activities and riding toys.  Registration in required. Please call to register at 664-4821 by Wednesday, August 13th. Happening rain or shine! This popular trip fills up fast, so call early.

Margaret Lindley Park
Join Family on Monday, August 11th at 10:00 at Margaret Lindley Park for beach fun and swimming.  We will NOT meet at Broad Brook on this day.

Berkshire Museum Passes and a whole lot more!
Did you know that the Berkshire Museum passes that Family Net has can also get you into the Children’s Museum of Science in Troy, The New York State Museum in Albany, the Boston Children’s Museum and the Museums of Science in Boston and Springfield?  It can. Family Net has an extensive list of museums across the state and country where the pass can be used. To borrow the pass, call the office at 664-4821 to reserve it.
Community Events
National Night Out will be in North Adams at the Masonic Temple on Church St. on August 5th 6-8 p.m. Sponsored by the N. Berkshire Community Coalition in conjunction with community police departments. Free safety activities for children and information on keeping our neighborhoods safe.

Mother-Baby Bonding Event
In celebration of World Breastfeeding Week on Friday, August 8th, 10 am - 1pm at the Berkshire Mall (near JC Penney's). Information on breastfeeding and resources for children, raffles give-aways, infant massage, face painting, child car seat safety inspections. Entertainment will be provided by David Grover at 11:30. Sponsored by Berkshire WIC and Berkshire Health Systems.

Berkshire County Head Start has Openings for Fall
This free pre-school program for income eligible children has openings in their North Adams program at Johnson school for 3 and 4 year olds. For more information, please call 664-7932.

Rulers for Schoolers
Starting August 4- the Community Action program in North Adams has free school supplies for families for back to school. For information call 663-3014.

Bugapalooza Family Day@ Berkshire Museum
Sunday, August 6, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Day of family fun. Visit a real butterfly tent on the museum lawn. Enjoy performances by local dancers costumed as butterflies. Live bugs like scorpions and silk moths. Movement workshops with dancers. Butterflies and busy bees in hands-on activities. Come disguised as your favorite bug to be in the Bug Runway show at 2 p.m.

Mayor’s Downtown Celebration

The Annual North Adams Downtown Celebration is August 20th at 5:30.  An area in the downtown plaza parking lot, starting from the Main Street entrance will be blocked off for a variety of fun, safe, and interactive activities for children.

Parent Child Home Program
This program has openings for families staring in the fall.  The program helps children get ready to succeed in school.  Trained home visitors visit families and bring FREE books and toys. Eligible children must be between the age of 16 and 28 months.  For more information call 664-4615.
New Parent Books and Videos in our Library
Books:
Raising Baby Green-The Earth Friendly Guide
by Alan Greene, M.D.
Full of good information to make healthy, environmentally conscious choices for families.
Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron
When to start your baby on solids and which foods to introduce first.  Hundreds of recipes.
Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld
Written by the wife of comedian Jerry Seinfeld, this book has a unique approach. Vegetable and fruit purees and how to incorporate them in kid friendly but nutritious foods.
Grandparents as Parents by Sylvie de Toledo and Deborah Edler Brown.
Supportive advice and resources for grandparents who may have be taking over the care of their grandchildren for a variety of reasons.
Videos:
YogaKids-Silly to Calm for ages 3-6 yrs.
Activities that harness silly energy into calm basic yoga practices that can be used as lifelong tools.
I Can Go Potty! Potty Training for Boys and Girls
Children will learn about potty training and hygiene. Parents learn to encourage successful potty training.
Potty Time with Bear
Children’s video features puppets, songs and dancing while teaching children basic bathroom skills.
Guide for Parents of New Siblings
For parents with new siblings. Suggestions for real life situations with children and new siblings.
Oh Baby! A Guide for Big Brothers, Big Sisters
Explains the normal feelings of having a new sibling. Gus the English Bulldog narrates it.

Fun At-Home Activities
Baby
A good high chair activity while you are cooking or busy in the kitchen is to take an empty tissue box; throw in a few small, safe objects like a small toy, ball etc. Let the baby feel for the objects and dump them and put them back in.
Toddlers
Hide and Seek Game
Stick rows of Post-it notes on a piece of paper. Put a sticker under one and let your child guess where the sticker is (show by lifting one of the flaps). Then hide another one!
Preschool and School Age
Check out www.haringkids.com  for unique coloring and art activities, on-line games and lesson plans according to age group.
Splash into Summer
Whether your kids spend the hot summer days at the beach, on a favorite lake or poolside, knowing basic water safety and swimming skills can make the summer more fun …and safe!

6-36 months: Infant/Toddler Water Adjustment
While many programs exist to acquaint infants and toddlers with swimming, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) cautions that children generally are not developmentally ready for swimming lessons until they are four years old.

“Drowning is a leading cause of unintentional injury and death in the pediatric age group” states the AAP. They cite infant/toddler aquatic programs have not shown to reduce the risk of drowning, and parents should not feel that their child is safe around water after participating in such programs.

The AAP does, however, recognize the YMCA and the American Red Cross infant/toddler programs as good sources of enjoyment for both parent and child, but they stress they’re not designed to teach independent water survival or swimming skills to children who are just not ready to learn them.

The AAP recommendations include:
· Children younger than four are generally not ready for formal swimming lessons.
· Infant/toddler aquatic programs should not be promoted as a form of drowning prevention.
· Parents should not have a false sense of security after participating in such programs.
· When children under four are in or near water, parents should always be within an arm’s reach.

If your preschool child, ages 3-5 years does attend a YMCA or Red Cross swimming program, you can expect them to be exposed to the following:
· Water adjustment including face submersion
· Games and songs
· Flotation devices
· Blowing bubbles in preparation for side breathing
· Floating and rolling over
· Paddling and kicking on front and back
(Source: www.parentstages..com)
For more information on local swimming programs call the YMCA at 663-6529.

 

 

10 BALANCED BREAKFASTS
An ideal, nutritious breakfast contains a balance of complex carbohydrates and protein. Think grains, plus dairy, plus fruits. Examples of balanced breakfasts are:

1. granola cereal, yogurt, a sliced apple
2. scrambled eggs, toast, orange juice
3. veggie omelet, bran muffin, fruit with yogurt
4. whole-grain pancakes or waffles topped with berries and/or yogurt, milk
5. whole-wheat zucchini pancakes topped with fruit, milk
6. French toast topped with fruit, orange juice or milk
7. low-fat cheese melted on toast with a piece of fruit
8. low-fat cream cheese on a whole-grain bagel, orange juice
9. peanut butter and banana slices on an English muffin, milk
10. For a breakfast-on-the-run smoothie, see recipe below.

Of course, it's what you eat not what you say that impresses a child most. By treating yourself to a healthy breakfast, you model to your children that eating a healthy breakfast gives the whole family a smart nutritional start.
A BREAKFAST-ON-THE-RUN SMOOTHIE
Here is a family recipe for a smoothie to give children a quick and nutritious breakfast as they are hurrying off in the morning and we are rushing off to work.

• 3 cups milk (or soy milk)
• 1 1/2 cups plain nonfat yogurt
• one banana
• 1 cup frozen blueberries
• 1/2 cup each of your favorite fruit, frozen (e.g., organic strawberries, papaya, mango)
• 1 tbsp. cinnamon

Combine all the ingredients and blend until smooth. Serve immediately after blending while the mixture still has a bubbly milkshake-like consistency. It's a powerful performance booster for working parents and children.

From http://www.askdrsears.com/