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1. Cut the pipe cleaners in half so that you have four pieces.
2. Make a cross with two pieces, twist and secure, then add the other two pieces, twist and secure.
3. Add a few beads to each piece of pipe cleaner.
4. Bend the ends of each piece just enough to prevent the beads from falling off.
5. Add an ornament hanger or make a loop with the pipe cleaner for hanging.

Mary Weaver, Western Minnesota Program Coordinator
 

 

"Social media" is the current buzzword for nearly any business or organization. Put simply, social media are typically websites that allow users to share content, media, etc. The appeal of social media - to organizations and to the public - is about listening and actively engaging the audience; social networking was invented to share opinions and ideas online.

 

Social media can take various forms, including Internet forums, web blogs, social blogs, wikis, videos, and pictures. Well known organizations such as United Way, the American Red Cross, and Prevent Child Abuse Minnesota are using Facebook and Twitter accounts to reach volunteers, donors, and simply keep people informed. The simplicity of setting up a blog, Facebook account, or Twitter page allows nearly anyone with computer access the ability to connect with like-minded people in a matter of minutes. There are no design fees, no web service fees. Simply establish a page and go!

 

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Priscilla N. Bennett, Communications Coordinator  
"Real Parents. Real Solutions" with Toni Schutta on The VoiceAmerica™ Talk Radio Network

Toni Schutta has 15 years experience helping parents find solutions that work. Toni has worked with hundreds of families over the years as a Parent Coach, Family Therapist, and Child Psychologist and integrates real-life solutions with research-based options parents can try immediately. She's been featured in national publications such as Parents, Woman's World, and First for Women and has been a frequent guest on radio and TV shows. You can hear her radio show, Real Parents. Real Solutions, and access her archived radio shows online at http://www.modavox.com/voiceamerica/vshow.aspx?sid=1572.  

The Parenting Counts Center has many features that make it one of the most informative and interactive parenting tools available online. For example, you could use the research-based Developmental Timeline to understand how your child thinks, feels, learns and grows. The Parenting Counts Center Developmental Timeline is a research-based parenting resource tool designed to help parents understand and track over 200 milestones that children commonly experience during the first five years of life. The milestones are organized by months from birth to age five as well as by category:

 

Social and Emotional Development
How children feel, act and relate to others.

 

Cognitive Development and Learning
How children learn and think.

 

Language and Communication
How children learn sounds, words and sentences and connect them to meaning and experience.

 

Physical Development
How the five senses and the ability to move develop in the first five years.

 

You can access a free online demo for this and other programs at www.parentingcounts.org.