Greetings!
It's hard to believe it's that time again. Whether you are totally prepared for meet-the-teacher nights and homework help or scrambling to get those school supplies, you'll find some great resources here. We hope you enjoy this issue of the NAMC eNews.
Best wishes,
Linda Lisi Juergens
Executive Director
516 939-MOMS X101
The National Association of Mothers' Centers (NAMC) provides programs that empower mothers, fathers and caregivers to find solutions that work for their families, their work lives and their personal lives.
|
  Have You Filled A Bucket Today?
The NAMC is gearing up for webinar topics we think you'll love. You'll want to put these on your calendar.
September 20th - Have You Filled A Bucket Today?
Presented by Erika Stroh
Everyone is born with an invisible bucket, which represents our mental health and emotional well-being. During this webinar you'll learn how to teach your child to fill his or her own bucket, deal with bucket-dippers and use a lid, when necessary, to protect her bucket as well as to help protect others.
October 18th - The 6 Biggest Money Mistakes Mothers Make
Presented by Kristin Maschka
Motherhood is still financially riskier than fatherhood. During this webinar, Kristin Maschka goes beyond coupon-clipping and budgeting to get at the big mistakes and outdated mindsets that impact our lifetime financial health and well-being and sets us up to take action today.
|
Mothers' Center in the Spotlight
How do you find new friendships and/or maintain old friendships as a parent? Members of the Mothers' Center of Greater Toledo host a quarterly gathering called "speed-friending" - an activity where mothers get the opportunity to meet other moms via an ice breaker game (similar to "speed-dating" - just with friends). How important a role do you believe friendships play in parenting? Read more and leave a comment by visiting the Mothers Central Blog post: A Sisterhood of Mothers.
Join us each month as we highlight a different local Mothers' Center across the nation. Don't have a Mothers' Center near you? Learn more about starting a local Mothers' Center group by downloading our New Center Start-up Guide.
|
Celebrate Family Day September 24, 2012
 Hectic work and school schedules can have a huge impact on the amount of time we spend together as families. Research by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASAColumbiaTM) has consistently found that connection to parents fostered during frequent family dinners is a simple, yet effective way to help keep kids from the risky use of drugs and alcohol. It's not necessary to make it a big production. In fact, it's best to find what works for you and your family so that you can share dinners together more frequently than perhaps you do now. Family Day is celebrated annually on the 4th Monday in September. And it serves as a reminder that every day is a good day to have a meal together as a family. Learn more here. |
Back-to-school Resources 
- Besides school supplies and clothing, something your children need most as they head back into the classroom are the tools to build their social intelligence. Read about this simple yet profound strategy from the wonderful Raising Happiness blog.
- At USA.gov, you can find resources for families to help with back to school and throughout the school year. They include: financial assistance for families, low cost meals and affordable health insurance programs for families that qualify. Click here to learn more.
- HealthLeader also has several articles that discuss the challenges of first-day jitters, sleep deprivation and other health concerns that are heightened as kids of all ages return to school. Check out their informative articles here.
|
Important New Research - Impacts on Our Children
- Researchers from Knox College find that girls as young as 6 want to be "sexy" and equate sexiness with popularity. But on the positive side, they find that mothers can have a strong effect on whether girls think of themselves in sexualized terms. (See also Melissa Wardy's interesting critique of the study in the Pigtail Pals blog.)
- A new study out of Montreal shows that the more time 2- to 4-year-olds spend watching TV, the greater their waist size and poorer their sporting ability as 4th graders.
- Douglas Gentile at Iowa State University finds in his newly released study that exposure to media violence is a risk factor for predicting later aggressive or "bullying" behavior.
|
International Day of the Girl
International Day of the Girl is a movement to speak out against gender bias and advocate for girls' rights everywhere. The newly established UN International Day of the Girl Child will be celebrated every year on October 11- which happens to be Eleanor Roosevelt's birthday!
NCWO's free Day of the Girl Proclamation Project Toolkit encourages girls to draft a proclamation and collaborate with their local elected officials to plan a proclamation presentation during a city or county council meeting, or at a Day of the Girl community event. This hands-on civic leadership project enables girls to advocate for gender equality issues and experience participation in the public policy arena. |
Your Gift Makes a Difference for Families Mothers' Centers have helped thousands of families: - Make friends
- Learn from each other
- Find needed support
- Advocate for our children's needs
- Discover valuable resources
- Find creative ways to manage work and family responsibilities
- And so much more!
Please consider making a tax-deductable donation to the National Association of Mothers' Centers today. Thank you for making a difference! |
