Website: iafamilysupportnetwork.org Phone: 1-888-IAKIDS1
The Iowa Family Support Network serves as a central point of contact to help parents and providers connect to Early ACCESS, Family Support, and Group Based Parent Education Services for 0-5 year olds and their families across the state of Iowa.The IFSN Newsletter is intended to keep you connected and provide information that may be informative and beneficial to the families and clients that you serve.
New Year’s Resolutions
Now that the hustle and the bustle of the holidays are winding down, it is time to take inventory of our lives and decide if there are any improvement to be made. Whether it be eating better, spending more time together or exercising more, there is always room for improvement.
Setting a New Year’s resolution as a family can strengthen your family bond by ensuring that everyone works together as a team. When picking a New Year’s resolution as a family remember these few tips:
1. Keep it simple: you want the goal to be achievable for all.
2. Include everyone: let every member of the family share what they would like to improve and decide which would work best for everyone.
3. Have fun with it: choose something that your family will enjoy.
Looking for more ideas on New Year’s resolutions that can be done as a family, select the link below.
http://www.sheknows.com/parenting/articles/851161/top-new-years-resolutions-for-families
Teaching Self-Regulation at a Young Age
The term self-regulation is used when describing the management our emotions and how we control our emotions and behaviors. A child that has self-regulatory skills is able to control their emotions and manage their behaviors. For a toddler, this means being able to say that they are mad instead of hitting or biting.Developing self-regulation begins at birth and continues across a child’s life. It is a skill that is critical to success in school and overall healthy development. Having self-regulation will enable children to work well with others, cope with anger, and resolve conflicts.
Your responses to your child’s behavior can help set a strong foundation for how your children will manage and respond to their own feelings, impulses, and needs now and for the rest of their life. Select the link below for ways to teach your child self-regulation skills becoming successful.
http://www.abilitypath.org/areas-of-development/social--emotional/self-regulation-and-mutual-regulation/articles/self-regulation-tips.html
Keeping Your Baby Safe this Winter
Whether we like to admit it or not, the cold is upon us, and unfortunately there are times we will have to take our small infant out in the cold. Here are some helpful tips to keeping your baby warm and safe during these cold winter months.1. Layer your baby: rule of thumb layer your baby with 1 more layer than you have layered yourself.
2. Keep your baby warm AND dry: be aware of the fabrics you dress your baby in.
3. Dress in easy to remove layers: remember to remove some layers once entering your destination to not over heat your baby.
For more helpful tips to prepare your baby for winter visit, http://www.motherandbaby.co.uk/baby-and-toddler/toddler/looking-after-your-toddler/how-to-dress-your-baby-for-cold-weather
To view and order IFSN materials visit: https://www.iafamilysupportnetwork.org/forms/materials-order-form
For more information on resources across the state, call us at 1-888-IAKIDS
Providing Care and Support to Iowa’s Families and Children / Page 2 of 2