Save the dates!!

Springfield 186 Parents as Teachers

We are so glad you are with us…

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Springfield 186 Parents as Teachers is honored to work with you and your family. WE love what we do and I hope it reflects in our work. This is how you can benefit most from each home visit: Be ready with your child when the visit is scheduled, have questions regarding your child, be prepared to share experiences from previous visits, dedicate a spot in your house for the home visit (children loves consistency) and make sure you are sharing your observations of your child with the parent educator. With more intentional visits, I am positive that you will notice a difference in your child’s growth and development and the way you interact with your child.

In this newsletter, you will find ways to strengthen your relationship with your child while introducing new ways to enjoy spending time together and maintaining old traditions or finding some new ones.

Remember to join us for the weekly playgroups to build social emotional skills for your child. Ask your Parent educator for more details.

PAT office will

remain closed for

winter break from

December 21st-January 4th.

We will kick off the

new year with music

and dancing. Details

coming soon!!

W I N T E R 2 0 1 8 / 1 9

Winter is here! Bundle up it’s cold outside!! There are some local community resources that may help provide with winter coats and accessories. You can contact them at:

*Kumler Outreach Ministries

303 N Grand Ave E.

217-523- 2269

*Contact Ministries

1100 East Adams

217-753-3939

December 18 @

Ergadoozy from

5pm-6:30pm

Admissions will

be free for PAT

enrolled families.

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PARENTS AS TEACHERS: 217-525-3315

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Sharing Traditions with your young child According to an article by Rebecca Parlakian and Clair Lerner, Traditions-routines and rituals that we repeat across time and across generations-provide a sense of family connection and family identity. Here are some tips to including young children in your family traditions or making a few new ones.

Share family stories and songs

*Sing lullaby your mother or father sang to. you. Choose stories about when you were a child, games you played, places you visited, funny things your pets did.

Look for ways to make an everyday routine memorable

*Turn a regular bath time into a tub full of bubbles or have a winter picnic inside.

*When putting groceries away, get your child involved by asking them to name the products as you unpack the bags or play a guessing game.

Embrace technology to create new traditions

*Grandparents and other loved ones would love to video chat with your child. Create a ritual for saying hello or good-bye, for example a special way to blow a kiss into the webcam.

*The loved ones can also read a bedtime story to your child or sing a special song to them.

Powerful interactions-every moment counts!

Don’t wait for a special time and place to have fun with your child. Every moment you spend with your child is special. Make these moments count. According to zero to three website, play is not just about toys, it’s about back and forth interactions- anything from singing a song to your baby as you change his diaper, to cooing and smiling back and forth with him. You can also try: offering interesting objects and moving them side to side, placing a mobile or rattle so your baby can kick or hit or by simply share a book together. Books are the best way to spend time with your kids without spending a lot of money. Go visit your local