The Check It Out workgroup developed a poster series to support positive parenting and highlight child development. Six posters were developed with key messages from a child's perspective. The posters also encourage families to connect with their family doctor, local public health unit, or child and family program if they have questions or concerns about their child's health, development or wellbeing.
The posters may be displayed within child and family programs, community agencies, and/or medical clinics. The series is family centred in the language, images and overall messaging, and can be used as a tool to start conversations with families.
The series currently is in English and downloadable in PDF. There are two PDF versions that can be accessed:
The world is filled with exciting and new experiences for us to enjoy. A gift we give our children is the encouragement and support to explore wondrous moments. Using new experiences as "teachable" helps our children process information and build their understanding of the world around them.
Research has shown that by 3 years of age, there is a 30 million word gap between children from the wealthiest and poorest families. Literacy and language enriched environments help children with vocabulary development which is directly correlated to later reading and school success.
Helping children build their "tool box" for emotional awareness and self-regulation is important for a child's emotional wellbeing. Parents are observers and attuned to their children and can help them to develop these skills. Labeling and describing the expression of feelings are a start to a child's understanding of emotions. Fostering children's emotional literacy skills helps them learn how to understand, express and regulate their emotions.
Fostering secure attachments in infancy supports children to feel safe, secure, and protected. When an infant/child feels their needs are met consistently they feel safe in their environments to explore and learn. Secure attachments are vital for a child's overall wellbeing.
Families thrive when they are connected within their communities. Access to early learning and care environments and community programs helps children to learn by playing with others. Reducing parent isolation is key to successful parenting. These environments help build parenting capacities and strengthen family interactions while offering a positive place for families to grow and learn.
Recognizing when children successfully meet their milestones, builds a child's confidence and sense of self. Celebrating achievements together supports family relationships and lets children feel like their experiences are valued. This nourishes the child’s positive sense of self and sense of belonging.
For more information please contact please contact CITYKIDS@mothercraft.org.
Stay tuned for more information on the Poster Series!