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Early Childhood Development is Key
The early years of a child’s life are the most important as this is when bonding and feelings of safety and security occurs which set the stage for our children’s future experiences. As families plan for having a baby, it’s a very exciting time, but even the most planned pregnancies and births are stressful experiences. As we all know, children are not born into the world with an instruction manual, and if they were, we probably wouldn’t have the time to read it! Babies take a lot of time and energy. Family members find themselves needing to adjust their lives to accommodate the newest addition to the family while trying to parent as best they can.
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"It’s been speculated that more than 90% of what we learn, over a course of a lifetime, is all learned in the first 3 years of life!"
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As the baby grows and develops, it is a somewhat confusing and stressful time period for parents because they hear different messages from pediatricians, family and friends about their child’s development. Parents may hear conflicting messages about when their child should be crawling, walking, or talking, so they are left unsure about if their child is “on track” developmentally. At times pediatricians may even miss screening a child on their developmental milestones because of the focus on immunizations and the baby’s overall health. Healthy development is critical, however, especially within the first 3 years of a child’s life. During this time there are “Windows of Opportunity”, which open when a child is ready for a developmental task. Unfortunately, the “Window of Opportunity” also closes at a later time; and if that skill was not learned, it becomes much harder for the child to gain that skill and to succeed once in school.
In addition to development and health, CG&FS also works with young children with behavior problems and/or counseling needs. Of all the cases that CG&FS works with, over 15% are ages 6 years and under, or over 300 children at one given time. Parents reach out for help for behavior problems within a pre-school setting or at home, hyperactivity, difficulty dealing with a family change such as divorce, remarriage, or adoption, issues with dealing with a death of a loved one, and children that have experienced some traumatic event.
CG&FS wants to help families and children early, when we can help set the foundation early. We are a community resource to help in navigating throughout services for your child. CG&FS has many skilled clinicians, psychologists, psychiatrists, case managers, and group facilitators to help your family and your child with any of these issues and concerns. Depending on your needs, services can be offered individually, within a group, at your home, or at your child’s school or preschool. Our role is to support families in reaching their goals for their children. You are not alone. We are here to help.
Ken Ditlevson, PCC-S is the Early Childhood Director for CG&FS. He oversees prevention programs including The Incredible Years and Help Me Grow along with Head Start Mental Health Consultation, Early Childhood Case Management.
Try eating something new. Get your kids involved with planning a meal by trying a new vegetable or casserole they want. See www.momsmenu.com or www.kaboose.com for fun and easy recipes that the family could choose together.
Make the most of your family dinner: Don't scold, criticize, tease, or climb on a soapbox. Treat your family as respectfully and carefully as you'd like to be treated. You'll be surprised how fast their behavior will start to mirror yours.
Ken Ditlevson, PCC-S is the Early Childhood Director for CG&FS. He oversees prevention programs including The Incredible Years and Help Me Grow along with Head Start Mental Health Consultation, Early Childhood Case Management.
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