Four Ideas to Teach Kids about Service

It can be difficult to teach young kids to look outside themselves and give to others, especially when they are just learning to share toys or get along with their siblings. However, I had an experience while living in Mexico that taught me that it is possible. Two kids, from a family that I was friends with, gave me one of their toys because they thought I would enjoy it (a plate and bowl about the size of my thumbnail). I was touched because the family lived a very humble life and didn’t seem to have much to give. The parents of the family were also very generous, and I’m sure their kids learned from example. My mother is also an incredible example of generosity; she spends her days thinking of ways to serve others.

Though it may be a little rough to start teaching kids about service while they are little, your children’s generous attitude and habit of serving will benefit countless people. Here are some ideas to get started:

Make Service a Part of Your Family Heritage

In an earlier blog post where I introduced myself, I shared that I had learned to serve at a young age. The exact age cannot be determined because service was instilled in me from birth. I’m sure I accompanied my family as a baby and it’s questionable how much I helped as a toddler, but I was there. As children, we didn’t choose if we wanted to help. My siblings and I learned to embrace service and love it as it became part of who we are. In fact, all of us continue to serve as adults. It’s just what we did in our family. It is part of my family’s heritage.

Team Member Spotlight: Kammy

I was born in Kanab Utah. After my twin brother was born, at some point they realized I was also coming to be the 3^rd of 7 children to this wonderful family.  No one knew I was coming. Not my mother, father or even the doctor.  Looking back, my parents tell me that my grandfather gave my mother a blessing before the 26 mile trip to the Kanab Hospital. While giving the blessing he said. “Bless him”, then he paused and said, “Bless her”, then went on the finish the blessing. They thought, “…that’s funny”, but off to the hospital they went. To everyone’s surprise grandpa was right. My twin brother was born, and then the doctor thought he was finished, but my mom said, “I think there is another one.” He checked, and sure enough, I did not want to be left out. 

5 Ways for Your Family to Give Back This Season!

The holiday season is full of joy, happiness, and giving! It is a time to come together with your friends and families and reflect on the year and enjoy quality time together. Kids are excited about the gifts they will receive and parents are excited to buy them for their little ones! In between all the holiday parties, programs at school, and family obligations, it can be hard to remember that it is also a time for our families to give back to those less fortunate. Here are some easy ways to give back to your community this season while spending some quality time with your family!

Team Member Spotlight: Mackenzie

The Golden Temple in Amritsar, India

Hey there! My name is Mackenzie and I work in outreach support here at Help Me Grow Utah! I grew up in a small town called Kamas. It’s okay if you have never heard of it, but you may have heard of our neighbors Park City and Heber, which are each only about 10 miles away from Kamas. After graduating high school with my associates degree from UVU, I started my Bachelor's degree at the University of Utah. I am getting my degree in Business Management with a focus on Nonprofits, so Help Me Grow is great experience for me!  My main job is to show the state how awesome Help Me Grow Utah is by visiting with physicians and attending outreach events such as family fairs and libraries. I am so excited to represent Help Me Grow by sharing all the awesome things we do! Read below to find out some more about me!

Expanding Our Statewide Team

Now that Help Me Grow has gone statewide, we want to welcome aboard and introduce you to our newest staff members! Here's a little bit about each of them.

Kali Iverson
 Kali Iverson was born and raised in the small town of Huntsville, Utah. She attended Utah State University, where she graduated quickly with a degree in Family, Consumer, and Human Development. She chose this degree because of a deep desire to support and strengthen families, believing that strong families make for a strong community. Apart from loving the job she now has at Help Me Grow, Kali also enjoys spending time with her family and friends, being outdoors, cooking, and travelling throughout the world. Kali is our Community Liaison in the Salt Lake and surrounding areas.

Amanda Mortenson

My name is Amanda Mortenson and I am the Resource Specialist for Help Me Grow. Originally from Orem, I moved to Logan in 2007 and graduated with my bachelors from Utah State in 2011. I met my husband, Landen, during my time in Cache Valley and we have now been married for 3 years. We are very excited to welcome our baby girl at the end of April. I love to attempt crafts I find on Pinterest, bake, and hang out with my friends and family.

Ilse Dekoeyer-Laros

This February, I joined the Help Me Grow team as a Child Development Specialist. Originally from The Netherlands, I worked with Dr. Alan Fogel in the infancy research lab at the University of Utah Psychology Department, where I studied early mother-child relationships, as well as early self-awareness, emotions, and emotion regulation. Since 2002, I have been teaching at the University of Utah. Teaching became my main profession in 2006 (as our research funding ended) and became one of my passions. I am happy to have just been awarded the Superior Teaching Award of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences (CSBS)! My other passion has been to spread awareness and education about the field of Infant Mental Health, as a founding member of the Utah Association for Infant Mental Health (UAIMH), of which I am currently the President. Related to this, I have a desire to help parents so they can help their children develop into happy, healthy, independent individuals who are able to connect well with others. I am excited to be a part of the Help Me Grow team, and to have the opportunity to do more for parents and children in Utah!

Kim Newman

Hi my name is Kim Newman, and I am 26.  I was born and raised in Magna.  I am the youngest of 5 kids.  have 2 brothers, 2 sisters, and they are all married with children. I went to Utah State University (GO AGGIES!!) from 2007-2010, and graduated with a BA in Psychology, with a minor in Spanish. I love to play games of all sorts, my favorite game being Betrayal at House on the Hill.  I enjoy movies, reading, hanging out with friends, cooking/baking, being random and weird, and having fun.  I love traveling, and have been to many States, and several foreign countries, and am excited to go to Europe this summer.

Jen Kuhn

Jen Kuhn is originally from Columbus, Ohio. She attended Brigham Young University and majored in Family Life: Home and Family Living Emphasis. Prior to graduating, she worked as an intern for Help Me Grow Utah. This past year she has worked for Children's Hunger Alliance and United Way of Central Ohio as a Wellness Coordinator. She is passionate about strengthening families and is excited to be a part of the Help Me Grow team again, working in Northern Utah. She enjoys the outdoors, spending time with family and friends, and playing sports.

Jodi West

Jodi West was born and raised in Hyde Park, Utah. She graduated from Utah State University with a degree in Family, Consumer, and Human Development with an emphasis in Family Finance. For the last four years, she has been the Regional Coordinator for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program in Box Elder, Cache, and Rich counties. Jodi is excited to join the Help Me Grow team as the Community Liaison in Southern Utah. With her husband Brady, they look forward to their new adventures in a warmer climate.

Help Me Grow welcomes our newest team members with a big THANK YOU to them, as well as our other staff, including: Barbara Leavitt, Robin Lindsay, Julie Miller, Rebekah Tucker, Andrea Gamarra, Hillary Michael, Cami Olsen. Without these ladies we couldn't serve our great state!

Have questions about child development? Contact us by dailing 2-1-1 and asking for Help Me Grow Utah. Or call us directly at 801-691-5322.

We are the champions, my friends! Janae Moss wins $16,000 social media competition!

Our Parent Champion, Janae Moss, was in a recent Utah Business Magazine competition and won $16,000 for Help Me Grow! Here is a short post, written by her. Thank you for all your support and votes!

Help Me Grow Utah

Recently I was nominated, and selected by Utah Business Magazine, for "30 Women to Watch" in the May edition.  It was an honor, and such a surprise.  In conjunction with this award, they held a social media contest where each of the 30 women had the chance to win $1,000 cash, and a $15,000 ad campaign for the charity of their choice, by getting the most votes.  Of course, I chose Help Me Grow for my charity - as we have needed funding and support in the state of Utah for several years now.  

I am happy to say, that after two weeks of campaigning and begging for votes, I won.  Not only did I win, WE won over 800 votes above the next contestant closest to me.  I attribute this to that fact that Help Me Grow, and United Way of Utah county is relationship based.  Everyone that supports me in my businesses, non-profit work, and friends on Facebook, want to see this program expand.  

I am really excited about the cash and ad campaign, but more importantly, about the awareness that this award will generate.  I could not have done it alone, but together with so many amazing people seeing the vision, we have done something great!  

Thanks for voting, and have a great day!

Janae Moss

Baby Shower for Young Moms!

If you are younger than 20, and are pregnant or parenting, you are invited to Centro Hispano for a Baby Shower and free gift for your baby.  We know that you have many needs at this time, and because of this we would like to support you with this event.

Welcome Baby

 

Having a new baby can be very overwhelming; it’s a brand new experience with so many new things to learn and figure out, it can be difficult to know where to turn for information and support!   

That is where the Welcome Baby program comes in.   

Our program is a free community service that is dedicated to helping the mothers of Utah County feel confident in this new role.  We have a few different free services available to help meet that goal, including home visits, parenting classes, and playgroups.

Home visits are the main way that we work to help new moms.  We have trained volunteers (mothers, grandmothers, and students with experience in this area) who will come to your home and bring you information about your baby’s health and development.  They can answer any questions you might have and if you have any concerns they can help you find the resources you need in your community.  This is a great resource for information, but it’s also nice just to have someone to talk to about what’s going on with your baby and how you are acclimating to the world of motherhood!  Along with some great information, our home visitors will bring you a free gift to welcome your new baby!  It usually includes a blanket, a cute little onsie, a board book, and a book for you with information on taking care of your baby throughout the first year.

Our Ready to Learn classes are a good way to get information about how your child learns and grows, and what you can do to help them with that process.  We cover topics from temperament and helping your child deal with anger, to the importance of reading and play to your child’s development. It’s also a good place to meet other moms, ask questions, and get a free children’s book and activity every time you attend!  These classes are held the third Wednesday of every month from 12pm to 1pm at the Provo Health Department.

Playgroups are great, especially once your little-one gets a little bigger.  They are a wonderful chance to get both you and your child out of the house for some social interaction.  Come enjoy some fun songs, activities, and crafts!  We currently have playgroups in Springville, Provo, and Eagle Mountain.  For times and locations go here.

Last, but not least, we have a newsletter, a blog, and a facebook page with health and development information, parenting tips, community events, and more!

We don't want any mom in our community to ever feel alone, unsupported or like she doesn't have the information and resources that she needs!  For more information about any of our programs, to contact us, or to sign up for home visits, the newsletter, or our Ready to Learn classes, visit:

http://welcomebabyuc.org/en/families/family-registration 

Go here find us on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/welcomebabyuc

And here follow our blog: http://welcomebabyuc.blogspot.com/

Pinwheels For Prevention

This month is Child Abuse Awareness Month. The Prevent Child Abuse America's campaign has introduced the pinwheel as the symbol for child abuse and neglect prevention nationwide. 

Photo

We each can play a part in promoting the social and emotional well-being of children and families in our communities. Help Me Grow and Welcome Baby strive to follow the six protective factors which include nurturing and attachment, knowledge of parenting and child development, parental resilience, social connections, concrete support for parents, and social and emotional competence of children. These 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 who might otherwise be at risk of abusing their children to find resources, support, or coping strategies that allow them to parent effectively, even under stress. Research has shown that these protective factors are linked to a lower incidence of child abuse and neglect. 

If you happen to drive by United Way of Utah County make sure to look at the front garden and see our pinwheels and support for child abuse awareness. 

For more information visit: http://1.usa.gov/Hvalx6 or http://bit.ly/Ht6nA0

EveryDay Learners

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

Dr. Seuss would have turned 108 TODAY!

Cat in the Hat was written with the goal of writing and illustrating 225 new reader words.  By the time Dr. Suess passesd way in 1991, he had written and illustrated 44 children's books, including Green Eggs and Ham, Oh, the Places You'll Go, Fox in Socks, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. 

You can help children learn to read too by becoming an EveryDay Learner and making learning about of your EveryDay!  

United Way of Utah County is advancing the common good to increase education by recruiting 10,000 individuals to be readers, tutors and mentors in Utah County.  You can be a formal volunteer in the community or set a goal to be an everyday learner at home by reading to your own kids or grandchildren.  

Become apart of this network of everyday learners and

learn more about how you can make learning apart of your EveryDay by 

visiting www.EveryDayLearners.org!  

Sub for Santa

The United Way of Utah County Sub for Santa program  was able to provide Christmas assistance for children between 18 months and 14 years of age in Utah County again! 

We are excited to announce that we have been able to help about 5,100 children in UTAH COUNTY!  

The BYU Smith Field House holds 5,000 people so try imagine that filled with children receiving Christmas assistance.  

This temporary assistance program was also able teach applicants how to manage their time, money and talents.  We were also able to connect applicants to other programs like VITA, a free tax assistance program, and of course, HELP ME GROW!  

Sub for Santa

ONE WEEK LEFT UNTIL BLACK FRIDAY!

Shopping? Excited for all those great deals?

DON'T FORGET TO 

Sign-Up to SPONSOR A CHILD

and shop for YOUR "ANGEL" along with all you other shopping.

You can also sign-up to volunteer your time.

Learn about how you can volunteer by clicking here.

Last year the United Way of Utah County Sub for Santa program helped

5,633 CHILDREN 

or

2,069 HOUSEHOLDS in UTAH COUNTY!

Food Allergies

Do your children have food allergies?

The number of children with food allergies is on the rise... 

1 in 25 students have a food allergy.

Make sure you talk to your doctor about any food allergies you think your child might have before it is too late.

Visit www.utahfoodallergy.org for more information.

Grandfamilies

Raising a grandchild?

Grandfamilies serves grandparents or relatives and family friends who are raising a child.  This program has recently expanded their services into Utah County!

Grandfamilies assist caregivers through the following services: 

*A 10 week class providing education and support groups for both adults and children

*Need based crisis intervention to help stabilize families

*Friend-to-Friend meetings activities to help build social supports

*Links to community resources to help achieve the best outcomes for children and relatives

*Help obtaining guardianship

Who can you refer to the Grandfamilies program? Call 801-373-4765.

Day of Caring

United Way of Utah County had 1,200 volunteers come out and help with this year's Day of Caring. Help Me Grow held the family event at Mountainland Head Start in Provo. Here are some great pictures from the event!

 

 

 

Back to School Countdown #0: Homework Tips by the Utah PIRC

We hope your FIRST DAY of SCHOOL went well!  Did your kids get up on-time after sleeping in all summer?  Did your kids get lucky enough to have all their friends in their class(es)? (...or maybe not so lucky if they talk to much when they are with their friends.)  Did you cry when you had to drop off your kindergartner?  or were you like my friend who cried when she dropped her "little girl" off for her first day of HIGH SCHOOL?  Are you starting to feel old yet?  Leave a comment and tell me how school went!


Well, now that school has started it is time for "Harnessing Homework Hassles!"  The Utah Parent Information Resource Center (PIRC) has provided this helpful check list for "harnessing homework hassles."  

Parent's Homework Check-List

1. Know your school's homework policy.
2. Ask your child about their homework, but keep it positive. (SMILE!)
3. Provide a quiet place.
4. Review your child's homework often to make sure it is being done correctly.
5. Make sure there are no interruptions.
6. Make homework a priority-turn off the TV, don't answer the phone, and read or do something quiet next to your child while they work. (Set an example.)
7. READ! READ! READ! Read to, or with your child every day.  Take turns reading pages or paragraphs. Have your child pick out the verbs-maybe even act them out to make it fun.
8. Praise your child often.  Make a big deal of them getting done or even for writing their letters neatly.  Make sure they know you think homework is important.  

Visit the Utah PIRC at www.ufpn.org for more parent information resources and tips.

Back to School Countdown #20: Ready! Set! School!

Parents can be their children's first and best teachers!

  Utah Parents as Teachers created a FREE website based program titled 

Ready! Set! School! to empower parents to teach.

On the website you can...

1. Learn what your child needs to be ready for kindergarten.

2. Get a set of activities designed to help your child learn and develop new skills. 

3. Find ways to give your child additional opportunities to learn.

Start using the program today for FREE by visiting www.readysetschool.org! 

You can also follow the Ready! Set! School! program on Facebook!

Happy Birthday Help Me Grow!

Yesterday, March 1st, was Help Me Grow's first birthday!  We are one year strong.  We have helped 234 families and 99 are currently active. We have processed over 300 parent screenings, have made 28 referrals to early intervention and over 400 referrals to numerous community resources.  Thank you for all the support and help you have given to the Help Me Grow line.  A special thanks to 2-1-1 specialists for sending parents our way.

The Help Me Grow Team :-)

Here Ye! Here Ye!

Hello parents out there. We here at Help Me Grow are working on becoming the best possible resource for connecting you to resources in the community when it comes to the care of your child. So today, we are turning the tables over to you. What resources do you want to learn more about? What topics or concerns about the development of your child do you have? What can Help Me Grow do better to help you? Our purpose it to help you, because without you guys, we would be nothing! Leave us a comment and we will start working on getting that information posted! Thanks for all that you do!