Success By 6 Helpful Links

Parents want the best for their children.  They are their child's first and best teachers. One of the key concepts of early childhood development is that  all parents want and need information.  United Way St. Croix Valley invites you to explore these websites containing valuable parenting tips and resources.

Success by 6  Parent Toolkit

United Way Suggests Five Key Ideas for New Parents
 

You can help your child learn better and be happier just by following these five simple guidelines, developed for the “Born Learning” campaign of United Way, United Way Success By 6 and Civitas (www.bornlearning.org).

Understand and respond to your baby’s needs.

You can’t “spoil” an infant, so go to her when she fusses or cries. By responding to your baby’s cues, you teach her that you care about her needs and that she can trust you. Ignoring a baby’s needs can do harm by causing stress levels to rise. You may not always understand your baby’s cues, but be patient. This is a learning process for both you and your baby. If she likes what you are doing, you know you are getting it right.
 

Take care of yourself so you can care for your child.

Becoming a parent can be overwhelming and exhausting. Unless you take care of yourself, you will have a hard time taking good care of your child. For this reason, it is important to have support from friends, family and community organizations. Do not be afraid to ask for help caring for your child.

Talk, sing and read to your child.

Let your child hear your voice as much as possible – it does not matter what you say to him. The newborn brain is especially interested in sound. You can form a deep emotional connection between you and your child by simply sharing the sound of your voice with him. Sounds also are important to a newborn because they are building blocks of speech and language.

Create a predictable world for your child. Providing routines and expected responses gives your child a sense that the world is a trustworthy place. It also teaches him that he can depend on you. If your child understands this, he will spend less energy fussing over his needs and more time learning. Routines can include basic activities like feeding and bathing.

Provide a warm and loving environment.

Helping your child feel safe and secure is the key to encouraging growth and development. A child who feels loved will have and easier time learning about the world around her. Therefore, make sure you interact with your child, providing love and affection.

Success By 6 is an initiative that aims to raise awareness of the importance of early childhood development, increase access to services, and advocate for public policies to improve young children’s lives.

United Way St. Croix Valley Presents Program on Investing in Early Childhood Education 

United Way St. Croix Valley invites you to learn about the economic impact of early childhood development programs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 13 at Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College in New Richmond.

Arthur J. Rolnick, the featured speaker, is senior vice president and director of research at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis and an early childhood development proponent.

For United Way St. Croix Valley and its partners in Success By 6, what a child learns and experiences before the age of six will shape the future of our community.

Link to informational flyer.

United Way launched a major new initiative designed to ensure that all children will succeed when they begin school.  

Plans for Success by 6^tm were unveiled at a half-day planning meeting in late May, 2004.  Local educators, nonprofit leaders, county and healthcare professionals and others joined United Way staff to discuss the needs of area children.  A steering committee was established and will begin meeting regularly in the fall.  The steering committee will review existing programs and look for gaps in services.

Success By 6 is a national community-based, early childhood development movement of public and private partners, both individuals and organizations, that share a common vision.

United Way St. Croix Valley’s Success By 6 is different:

United Way St. Croix Valley is now publishing early childhood  "Help Tips" highlighting some of the many and often simple ways to promote Success By 6.  Check out our current issue.  We will continue to make them readily available on our website along with links to past issues.  Enjoy and become an active participant in the life of a child!