Parenting Resources

As parents you are able to find advice and parenting tips where ever you turn, whether you want them or not.  Hopefully, you are able to separate the good advice from the not-so-good advice!  But sometimes we just need a little support or someone to answer our questions who really knows the answers.  Below is a list of resources that will hopefully give you a little guidance as you strive to be the best parent you can be to your little ones.

Classes offered by Davis Behavioral Health
You can access more information on all these classes at www.dbhutah.org or by calling Angie Smith at 801 773-7060.

Anxiety and Depression
     Start Dates: February 25, April 15, June 3
     Class meets on Tuesday evenings from 6:00 to 8:00 for 6 weeks

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction
     Starts January 30 from 6:30 to 8:30
     8 weekly 2 hour classes and 1 daylong class (March 8)

Fearless Marriage: Strengthening Your Marriage Relationship 
     Ongoing on Thursdays from 6:00 to 8:00
     Dinner is provided
     Cost: $20.00

Incredible Years, A program for parents of children ages 2 - 8
     Start Dates: February 4, February 26, April 3
     Classes are for 12 weeks from 6:30 to 8:30 pm

Love and Logic, Learn to raise responsible children
     Start Dates: March 4, March 5, March 13, April 22, April 23, April 24
     Classes are from 6:30 to 8:30 for 6 consecutive weeks

Project Davis, Build a strong family connection
     Start Dates: January 27, April 7
     Classes are from 6:00 to 8:00 pm for 8 weeks.
     Dinner is included, childcare is available

Stepfamily Education Classes
     Ongoing Tuesdays from 6:00 - 8:00
     Dinner is provided, free childcare

Family Finding Answers, for parents of children with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
     Groups are held at 6:30 pm on the second Thursday of the months listed:
     February 13, March 13, April 10, May 8, September 11, October 9, November 13,                   December 11
     For information contact Lynn Tanner at 801 309-3998 or lynnt@dbhutah.org

Classes offered by Utah Parent Center

IEP Workshop, Helping parents understand their role in the IEP process.
     Wednesday, February 5 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at the Vista Education Campus
     Register on line at http://conta.cc/1bfyPDS or call Roz Welch at 801 402-5120

Family Links Conference will be held on Friday, February 28th and Saturday, March 1 at Murray High School.  Keynote speakers are Matt Townsend, relationship coach, and Judith Snow.  Also included are breakout sessions, exhibitors, prize drawings and more.  Information can be found at the Utah Parent Center website: www.utahparentcenter.org/

Other resources

Parenting the Preschooler Newsletter
This newsletter is designed to enhance parent-child relationships, increase parent confidence and reduce parent stress.  You can access the newsletter online at http://parenting.uwex.edu/parenting-the-preschooler/

Parent Survey

Davis School District has initiated a new teacher evaluation system that includes a parent survey.  As part of Davis School District, we also have a parent survey.  Service providers will be delivering the survey at home visits or by email in the next few weeks.  There is also one at the end of this blog post.  Please take a minute to fill it out and return it so we can provide the best services possible for you and your child.

Baby Watch Early Intervention Program also requires a parent survey and that one will be delivered to you at home visits in March.

Your responses on each survey helps us to better the early intervention program and ensure that we are providing the supports and services that best help your family.  If you have any questions about either survey, please ask your service provider or contact me (Mandy 801 402-5403).

Thank you for letting us get to know you and your child!

Davis Early Intervention

              Parent Survey

		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Agree	Strongly Agree
1	Home visits are well organized and prepared.
2	I understand my parent’s rights.
3	I can effectively communicate my child’s needs with Early Intervention staff.
4	Early Intervention services have helped my child develop and learn.
5	I have been taught how to use activities or techniques so I can work with my child.
6	Participation in Early Intervention has been a valuable experience for my family.

Service Provider(s) ___________________________________________________________

Additional comments about staff who have worked with my child __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Please return survey to:

Mandy Zeschke

P.O. Box 588

115 South 200 East

Farmington, UT 84025

Email: mzeschke@dsdmail.net

Fax: 801 402-5401

The Season of Illness and Taxes

We try hard to not spread illness to your families.  We have an illness policy in place to helps us protect your family.  During this time of illness, please follow the illness policy and cancel appointments if anyone in your home is sick.

Our staff works with many babies and toddlers who get sick very easily. Because of this

fact, it is very important for everyone to remember to cancel home or center visits if

ANYONE in your family is sick.

Please call to reschedule if any of the following symptoms are present:

     

• fever of 101 degrees or more
• stomach/flu-like symptoms such as throwing up or diarrhea
• very sleepy or tired; fussier than usual
• a sore throat
• bad cold
• coughing
• red eyes with discharge
• thick green mucus from the nose
• skin rash
• oozing fluid or pus
• head or body lice; pinworm or scabies
• mouth sores

If anyone in your family is showing any of the signs listed above or isn’t feeling well, call

to cancel the visit by 9:00 AM.

Please help us keep everyone healthy.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Early Learning Center Layton 801-402-5514

Early Learning Center Bountiful 801-402-5432

Early Learning Center Farmington 801-402-5408

Also,

Each family with a child who was eligible for Early Intervention services at any time in 2013 will be receiving a TC-40D tax form this month.  The Utah State Tax Commission has authorized this form to be used to document a dependent child with a disability.  Families will need to fill in the  necessary information on Part 1 of the form and keep it with your tax records.  With this form, your child who was eligible for early intervention will count as two dependents on your Utah State Tax return.  The form does not need to be sent in with your taxes.  We are only authorized to provide forms for children who were eligible for early intervention services in the 2013 year.  If you have questions about the eligibility of older children, please check with the principal at your child's school.

January Activities

Now that the holidays are over (and hopefully they were successful and a lot of fun!), life seems to have slowed down a little.  There aren't a lot of community activities going on, but there are a few things to do when you need to get out of the house for a little while.

Davis County Library Story Times are always a great opportunity to socialize and share new stories with your little ones.  The Story Times at Bountiful and Centerville are specifically for toddlers!

Bountiful   Wednesday and Thursday at 10:30 am

Centerville Wednesday at 10:30 am

Clearfield   Wednesday and Thursday at 10:30 am and Wednesday at 1:30 pm

Farmington   Tuesday at 2:00 pm and Thursday at 10:30 am

Kaysville   Tuesday and Wednesday at 10:30 am and Friday at 11:30 am

Layton   Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 11:00 am and Wednesday at 1:30 pm

Syracuse   Tuesday and Wednesday at 10:30 am and Wednesday at 1:30 pm

Barnes and Noble also has a story time.  The story they will be reading is "The Dangers of Not Brushing Your Hair".  This is only at the Layton Barnes and Noble (1780 North Woodland Park Dr.) on Wednesday, January 8th at 11:00 am.

Tonight from 6:30 to 8:30 pm is Family Skate Night at the Weber County Ice Sheet sponsored by Layton Family Recreation.  Admission is free and skate rental is $1.00.  Hot Chocolate and cookies will be served.  

January 13th is free admission to the Natural History Museum of Utah.  Advanced reservations are strongly encouraged and are available online the Tuesday prior to the scheduled free day.

January 29th is a free admission day at Hogle Zoo.  They are open from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.

Thank you to our Parents!

Thank you for enjoying our December Community Activities with us!  We enjoy seeing families participating in the activities with their little ones.  Attending community activities with you allows our staff the opportunity to help families work through challenges that come with all children in public places.  We hope you feel our support and know you can ask for assistance with those challenges.  All children provide unique opportunities for us to grow and learn when we are in the presence of strangers!

We also want to thank those who provide the community activities for us to attend!  Bountiful and Clearfield Libraries, Flippers Gym, Tri-City Nursery, Layton Hay Rides, and Davis Early Intervention Staff.

We also want to send out a big Thank You to the parents of such amazing children.  Thank you for letting us get to know you and your children.  Thank you for welcoming us into your homes and into your lives.  Thank you for being such great advocates for such great little ones.  Thank you for doing all you can to make your children's lives extraordinary.  We love working with you!

We hope you all have a wonderful holiday season.  We will see you next year!

Love,
Davis Early Intervention Staff

Car Seat Safety

The following article is from KSL.com, please read it and keep in mind the tips for Car Seat Safety as you travel around this winter with your little ones.

"During the winter, parents need to think twice before strapping their child into a car seat with a puffy coat on. Chances are the coat is putting the child in danger. New safety changes to the LATCH system are coming in 2014.

It's cold - you're in a hurry - and you strap your child into his or her car seat with a puffy winter coat on. It's a scenario many parents are familiar with, but there is a hidden danger.

"That puffy coat in a crash could compress leaving a lot of space in that car seat, causing the child to move forward and or come out of the seat," said Stacy Johnson, Zero Fatalities spokesperson.

"Sometimes with the puffy coat or bulky coat, we might not be able to tell if it's tight on the shoulders and so we think they're snug when really they are not," Johnson said.

In the event of a crash (the harness) distributes the crash forces over the entire body of the child.

–Stacy Johnson, spokesperson, Zero Fatalities

Another common car seat mistake is the placement of the straps.

"If the child is rear-facing, it needs to be at or below their shoulders, but if the child is forward-facing then the harness needs to change and the straps need to be above the child," Johnson said.

When it comes to how tight the harness needs to be here's a helpful tip: if you can pinch the strap, it's too loose. And the chest clip needs to be at armpit level.

"In the event of a crash, (the harness) distributes the crash forces over the entire body of the child," Johnson said.

A big change in car seat safety is coming 2014 and it involves the LATCH system.

Starting in January, if a child and car seat have a combined weight of 65 pounds, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration advises parents to stop using the anchors because their strength cannot be guaranteed.

Instead, use the seat belt to secure the car seat, and also check to make sure the child still fits in it.

"If your child's forward-facing car seat goes to 40 pounds (and the child weighs more than 40 pounds) then they need to transfer into a booster seat," Johnson said.

Child seats weigh roughly anywhere from 15-35 pounds, so if your child weighs more than 30 pounds, you should check your car seat manual to see if you need a new seat. Also, check your car manual to find out how much strength your latch system can take — not all vehicles are the same."

Safekids.org

Safekids.org also provides information for making sure your child is safe in their car seat.  They have car seat inspection events where a technician can check your car seat to ensure it is installed correctly. The next even for our area is listed below.  Check out the safekids.org website for more information on car seat safety.

CHECK UP EVENT - SAFE KIDS SALT LAKE COUNTY - 12/20/2013 - 09:00AM-11:00AM

CHECK UP EVENT

Friday, December 20, 2013 - 9:00am to 11:00am

Address

Southeast Clinic

9340 South 700 East

Sandy

, UT84070

Flippers

I just had to jump on and post about the amazing activity at Flippers Gym!  Brittanie, owner of the gym, provided a wonderful time with great activities.  The kids who attended were able to work on large and small motor skills, cognitive learning, social skills, behaviors and listening skills.  And they had an amazing time while learning!  Brittanie has agreed to let us have a community activity at her gym again next December and she also provides classes for children with special needs.  Classes are for children ages 8 months to 3 years and are offered on Mondays and Tuesdays at 11:00 am.  You can participate in a free trial class if you would like to check it out.  Just call Flippers Gym at 801 593-8484 to schedule your free class or ask any questions.  The discounted cost for this class is $48.00/month for class two times a week.

Flippers Gym offers a variety of classes for all ages if you are looking for something for other kids in your family.

Thank you to Brittanie and her staff!  It was fun to see a room full of happy little ones!