Cooperative Extension: Parenting & Family Caregiving

Spring Activities for Kids

amartin — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:03:50 +0000

Spring is a great time to explore nature with your children as well as participating in many other activities. Activity Village has some great spring craft ideas to do with your children. Some of the craft ideas include puzzles, games, crafts and coloring pages.

WABI Reports on Cooperative Extension Farm-to-School Initiative

stpeter — Wed, 15 May 2013 16:51:00 +0000

WABI (Channel 5) reported on a meeting held in Bangor to inform the public about the University of Maine Cooperative Extension’s effort to bring more fresh and local foods to school cafeterias.

Forstadt to Attend Adverse Childhood Experiences Summit

stpeter — Wed, 15 May 2013 15:59:40 +0000

Leslie Forstadt, University of Maine Cooperative Extension child and family development specialist, is participating in an invitational forum May 13–14 in Philadelphia, Pa., aimed at restoring wellness to children and communities who have experienced trauma.

Forstadt, a co-facilitator of the Maine Resilience Building Network, will attend the National Summit on Adverse Childhood Experiences, where leaders will explore a number of topics, including research, pediatrics, behavioral health and public policy implications.

Forstadt says she looks forward to building nationwide connections and gaining knowledge that can be utilized to benefit Maine children, adults and families.

After conducting a statewide survey with multiple stakeholders, Forstadt and Mark Rains completed a report in 2011 for the Maine Children’s Growth Council titled “Working with Adverse Childhood Experiences: Maine’s History, Present and Future.”

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), include stressful childhood events like physical and emotional abuse and neglect, sexual abuse and exposure to substance abuse. These early experiences increase the risk of a number of causes of premature death and illness when these children become adults, including attempted suicide, drug and alcohol use, depression and obesity, according to the report.

Childhood trauma, Forstadt says, is a human issue as well as a clinical issue.

“This is about opening a conversation not by ‘what’s wrong with you?’” she says. “Instead, it’s about ‘what happened to you?’ Many (adverse) things happen to us as children and many people are incredibly successful and engaged in the world. The story becomes about what happens to help us build resiliency.”

Sue Mackey Andrews, also a co-facilitator of Maine Resilience Building Network, will present “The Maine Event: Addressing and Preventing ACEs Through Enhanced Statewide Capacity” during a policy and advocacy panel portion of the summit.

The Institute for Safe Families and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation are co-hosts of the two-day summit. The American Academy of Pediatrics, Academy on Violence and Abuse, Futures Without Violence, National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare, Prevent Child Abuse America and Scattergood Behavioral Health Foundation are sponsors.

Springtime in Maine

amartin — Fri, 10 May 2013 18:35:33 +0000

Spring has sprung in Maine. Gardening season is here which means more time spent outdoors so beware of ticks and lyme disease. It’s also the time of year when families gather for picnics and barbeques. Listed below are just a few publications from the Unversity of Maine Cooperative Extension’s online publications catalog:

#4278 Barbecue and Tailgating Food Safety
#4279 Food Safety for Camping and Hiking

#5047 Ticks
#2367 Lyme Disease
#5108 Insect Repellents
#5110 Mosquito Management

Ticks in Maine

amartin — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 12:28:11 +0000

As the warm weather approaches and were outside more, we need to be aware of ticks that live in the Maine woods. The University of Maine Cooperative has a fact sheet that will help you identify a tick if you happen to see one on yourself or your pet.

Cooperative Extension Publication Cited in Village Soup Article on Toddlers, Healthy Eating

stpeter — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 18:23:22 +0000

Village Soup cited a University of Maine Cooperative Extension publication in an article about healthy eating for toddlers. According to the Cooperative Extension bulletin, “The way we feed our children during the first five years of life affects everything — their physical health, and their emotional and social development, as well as how they learn.”

Maine Maple Sunday and How to Tap a Maple Tree

amartin — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 18:23:12 +0000

Maine Maple Sunday March 24th. This is a great day to plan some family time. It informs kids on where the syrup comes from and the process that is involved in making maple syrup. To find a list of activities in your area go to Get Real Get Maine.

The University of Maine Cooperative Extension has a publication available if you think you may be interested in tapping some maple trees yourself.

There are some great recipes that include maple syrup. If you think you would like to try some recipes Betty Crocker has several to choose from.

Hopefully you will get a chance to enjoy Maine Maple Sunday!

Maine Maple Weekend is March 23rd & March 24th

amartin — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 15:50:13 +0000

Now that Spring is just around the corner and the weather is warming up the trees has been tapped for syrup. Get Real Get Maine has the schedule posted for Maine Maple Weekend March 23rd & 24th. Click on the link to find the activities near you.

Spring into Action!

amartin — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 15:40:52 +0000

As the days become longer and the weather starts to warm up people of all ages can Spring into Action! Spring is a great time to get outside and enjoy the fresh air while getting physical activity. The Centers for Disease Control has a great resource on the importance of being outside.

The Benefits of Handwashing

amartin — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 19:13:28 +0000

Even though March is just around the corner, it’s still flu season. The University of Maine Cooperative Extension has a publication on the benefits of hand washing #4067 The ABCs of Hand Washing.