Brush Stroke
January 2013        
Greetings!     

We're here for you and your family. You can count on seeing more resources, useful information and helpful ideas to make 2013 a great year for you and your family.   

 

We hope you'll find these articles interesting.

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.
Reading blog webinarsThe Ultimate Tool for Success:
Emotional Intelligence

Wednesday, February 6th from 8 pm to 9 pm EDT

This webinar will provide you with a basic understanding of Emotional Intelligence (EI). As you understand what comprises Emotional Intelligence you'll gain insight into ways you can understand yourself and the people in your life better. This webinar will also provide you with a few simple tips to help you relate to others more effectively and achieve better results at work and at home.

Catherine Wright is Communications Liaison for the NAMC by night and a writer/facilitator for SVI, a world-class training and talent development company, by day. She is passionate about building successful relationships and helping others do the same.
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BenefitNAMC Membership
Featured Benefit: Discounts on Events

 
The NAMC offers events where you can meet like-minded people, hear from experts in their fields and learn about resources to support you in your efforts to provide the very best for your family.

Events include:
  • The Annual NAMC Work/Life Conference
  • Mothers' Center Conferences
  • Webinars

When you become an NAMC member, you get to attend some events at a discount and webinars are free.   


For more information about becoming a member, click here or contact Lisa Kaplan-Miller
SpotlightMothers' Center in the Spotlight
Midshore Mothers' Center
Year End Gala  
Pictured above are members of the Midshore Mothers' Center in
Massapequa, New York during their last year's annual Year End Dinner Gala themed around a "Breakfast at Tiffany's." The women attending the event were encouraged to dress in a little black dress and when they arrived were met by a punchbowl donned in pearls along with other decorations reminiscent of the Audrey Hepburn classic movie.

The money gifted to this center through donations, ticket purchases and a silent auction not only help to support their center operations, but ultimately provide community mothers with the emotional support to feel confident and strong as parents.

Supporting mothers through their parenting journey is something all our Mothers' Center Groups make a priority.
  • How did a Mothers' Center Group support you?
  • Have you ever had to explain why a Mothers' Center Group is "worth it" to skeptics?
Share your experiences by leaving a comment on the recent Mothers Central Blog post: Because We All Need Support - Explaining Why a Mothers' Center Group is "Worth It."

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. 
 resource2Resource for Helping Children Cope with Tragedy

There are no words to describe the recent tragedy in Newtown, CT. As adults, we can't make sense of it. So how do we help our children cope? We are grateful to the Fair Media Council and PBS for providing resources that can help.

PBS offers a guide entitled "Helping Children with Scary News" that offers suggestions on helping children feel safe and minimizing their exposure to disturbing media images.

The Fair Media Council has posted a series of blogs and webpages that address how to support and talk to your children. These sites provide several opinions that should help you find approaches that work best for you and your family.

The Parent-Child Home Program also offers suggestions of
several books designed for children about dealing with trauma.

Let us know if these resources are helpful to you.
Resource
 What You Should Know About Adoption 
 
There are more than 100,000 children in foster care in the United States who are waiting to be adopted into families like yours. These children are waiting for their "forever homes."

If you are thinking about starting or expanding your family through adoption, an initiative of the Children's Bureau supported through AdoptUSKids and Child Welfare Information Gateway offers these tips:
  • Educate yourself on common adoption myths and how to make the process the easiest for you.
  • Know that on average, it takes a year from the time you contact an adoption agency to the time a child is placed with you.
  • Remember there are several steps in the adoption process, including: completing an adoption home study, getting approved, and being matched with a child.
  • Develop appropriate expectations from the information you've gathered about the process.
  • Seek connections to other parents who have adopted, for mutual support and sharing of experiences.   
To learn more and to see children who are waiting for a family visit the Child Welfare website for adoption information.

article5Make Resolutions a Family Affair Family
 
Many of us use this time of year to reflect on what we accomplished the past year and how we can make the coming year better. Some write their resolutions down. Some simply make a decision to do something differently. But have you considered discussing resolutions as a family?

This article from the Public News Service, "Healthy, Family-Style Resolutions for the New Year," will give you some ideas for making New Year resolutions a "family affair" that brings you closer to one another.
families

Gift 

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!

Please consider joining the NAMC as an individual member.  Read about the benefits by clicking hereJoin today! 
 
Sincerely,
Linda Lisi Juergens
Executive Director
NAMC
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