During pregnancy, your friends and family may have shared stories with you about feeling “love at first sight” upon meeting their newborn, or having that “instant connection.” If that isn’t enough, movies and TV shows tend to show new mothers in postpartum bliss—and back to their pre-pregnancy bodies with a clean house to boot! Of […]
Parent Stress
The Long Haul You’ve made it through the joys, challenges, and adjustments of having a new baby – the first smile and sleepless nights, the first time they say “mama” and the pain of teething. Now that your child is a pre-schooler or a kindergartener, you can let go of the stress of being a […]
Pinwheels for Prevention
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. Parenting Now! is planting pinwheel gardens to celebrate happy childhoods free of abuse. A list of locations is provided below, along with ways businesses can plant gardens. Check out our Executive Director, Lynne Swartz, on this KEZI piece Pinwheel Gardens Raise Awareness for Child Abuse Prevention Month. We are grateful […]
Holiday Priorities
Holiday Priorities If you can’t do everything you want to during a holiday, what would be most important to you and your family? What do you value about the holidays? Here is a worksheet to help you sort it out. Exercise: Put the number “1” next to the item on the following list that represents […]
Child Abuse Can Be Prevented
Every day at Parenting Now! and Relief Nursery, we are rewarded by the success of a parent who nurtures and protects their child instead harming or putting them at risk, overcomes an obstacle, or makes a better decision when feeling frustrated or overwhelmed. But there is still much work to be done. April is Child […]
Emotion Study Seeks Families
The Emotion Regulation in Families study, which is part of the Psychology Department at the University of Oregon, is seeking mothers of children aged 36-60 months who have experienced the following in their lives: fear of abandonment in relationships, difficulty controlling anger, being impulsive, and having relationships with extreme ups and downs. Additional screening qualifications […]
Starting Preschool or Child Care
Like most things in life, making the transition from home to school requires some practice. An infant does not understand that the parent will be back until they experience it.
Resources for Parenting
Parenting is a learned skill. No one is born knowing how to be a good parent. Many parents may not want to use their own childhoods as the basis for their own parenting. Other parents may just be looking for new strategies for parenting their children. The good news is that our community and the internet have many resources for parents to expand their skills and become better at nurturing and caring for their children.
Help Children Cope with Grief
Successful grieving after the death of a loved one is an extremely difficult task for anyone. For children, all deaths are untimely. The bereaved child’s comprehension of events is dependent upon their developmental level. Their emotions are varied and unique, and not as neatly characterized as what occurs in adults.
Positive Discipline Possible
Parent educators at Parenting Now! are often asked, “What can I do about my child’s behavior?” Our philosophy is that there are many approaches to discipline, but every approach should be a thoughtful way to pass on parental values and rules.
Discipline is an opportunity for the child to learn. Sometimes, parents believe discipline is the same as punishment; in fact, the root of the word is disciple, or “to learn.” Children have much to learn, and it is a parent’s job to be their loving teacher.