Mommy and ME

Are YOU a MOM with a NEW Baby (newborn to 6 months)? Meet other mothers (first-time or experienced) and their babies, for (FREE) weekly fun and tips to develop healthy strong bonds between you and your new baby beginning Wednesday, January 23rd, 2008, 10:00am-11:30am, at Downeast Health Services Inc., 52 Christian Ridge Road, Ellsworth, ME 04605

The best gift you can give your baby is YOU. The love and attention you give your baby now will stay with him or her forever and will help your baby grow into a healthier and happier child and adult. Presented by the Hancock County Children’s Council, “Mommy and ME” is one of the new strengthening families initiatives introduced last Spring.

Parents today have a lot on their plates. Juggling the demands of work, home and other responsibilities leaves many parents feeling like they do not have enough time with their children. Even small acts of kindness, protection, and caring – a hug, a kiss, or a smile – make a big difference to children. Brain development in infants is positively affected when parents work to understand and meet their basic needs for love and affection or provide comfort when they are hungry, bored, tired, wet or cold.

Though the ultimate rewards of motherhood are greater than those of any other occupation, the stresses and challenges are greater, too – particularly at the beginning. What’s more, there’s no other job that offers as little feedback during the first weeks to let you know how you’re doing. Even for a seasoned pro, the postpartum period is no picnic; for a novice, it can seem like a never-ending series of blunders, bumbles, mishaps and misadventures. Share your worries with other new mothers, and you will be reminded that although you are unique, your concerns as a new mother aren’t.

Reading all the literature and consulting experts won’t always give you all the answers. Getting to know your baby and yourself, and learning to trust your instincts and good sense, is often a great route to making decisions you both can live with.

The Hancock County Children’s Council, a program of Downeast Health Services Inc, is promoting protective factors for protecting children and promoting healthy families. Protective factors are conditions in families and communities that, when present, increase the health and well-being of children and families. They are attributes that serve as buffers, helping parents to find resources, supports, or coping strategies that allow them to parent effectively, even under stress.

A child’s early experience of being nurtured and developing a bond with a caring adult affects all aspects of behavior and development. When parents and children have strong, warm feelings for one another, children develop trust that their parents will provide what they need to thrive, including love, acceptance, positive guidance and protection.

Parent-child bonding – the special intimacy that develops between you and your child – is tremendously important to your child’s development. For most children this relationship is their first and will affect all their future ones. Interacting with and enjoying your infant is critical to forming a bond. Cuddle your baby and make interesting noises to get his or her attention; play games in which you get your baby to focus on you. Whatever you do, however, don’t put yourself or your baby under pressure to perform. Play should be fun. Learning that comes with play is a bonus.

Nothing helps a baby grow and thrive as much as being loved. Take every opportunity to talk, sing, or coo to your baby. These casual but stimulating exchanges go further in making a brighter baby than forcing flash cards. Your goal isn’t to “teach” your baby, but to be involved with him or her. Any parent-baby team can be successful at learning-playing with a little guidance. Your baby becomes a social being through watching you, through interacting with you and the rest of the family, and later with others.

Please contact the Hancock County Children’s Council to learn about other parenting classes and workshops available in your community or visit our Parent Resource Library at 52 Christian Ridge Road, Ellsworth. You may visit our website at www.downeasthealth.org for additional information on child development and family educational resources available or contact Candy Eaton at 667-5304 ext. 261 or email children@downeasthealth.org.