Early Head Start Gazette - 4C Florida
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Community Coordinated Care for Children Inc., (4C)
Early Head Start Gazette
March 2021
How Can I Teach My Baby?”
Edible Painting
1- Use Music. and healthy. Just tell your
This might just be the best idea ever Studies have always shown baby goodbye and that you
invented - edible paint! I have seen many a link between music & will be back.
recipes around the place lately with the cognitive development in Do not sneak out! This will
most popular being yoghurt and food babies. The greatest only make your baby more
coloring. My little one has a milk allergy growth is from when they anxious the next time that
though so yogurt is out of the question. are still in the womb to you are around since he/she
We use the next best thing - baby rice two years of age, the time won’t know if you are going to
cereal! when listening-based sneak out again. Just be
First, you mix it up with lots of water learning is at its peak. cheerful when you leave, as if
until you get a nice consistency then you 2- Interact with your it is no big deal… “Bye, sweet
add the food coloring. I probably added child. girl! I’ll see you soon! Have a
a little bit too much but I love how Sing with your baby. Dance with your great day! Love you!”
bright the colors were! http:// baby. Use music as a jumping point to do 4- TEACHING: You can start showing
www.adorecherishlove.com/2015/04/sensory-sunday-edible-painting.html
this. Did you know that our children your baby more books
start to learn from us when they are and flashcards. An example would be to
still in the womb? Music has been a link teach him/her about the dog. Show your
to advanced math skills, foreign language baby a picture of a dog and say “Look at
aptitude, memory, and focus, to stimu- the doggie! Ruff-Ruff!”
late a baby’s brain development starting Continue to do this. (Teaching body
in the 5th month of pregnancy to the parts, animals, vehicles…)
second year? 5- Teach your baby new words. “Ma-
3- Say Hello. Say Goodbye. Ma”. Say it to your baby and they will
By one year, your baby will start try to repeat the word (or at least bab-
to prefer you and begin to cry when you ble back to you). https://www.yourmodernfamily.com/teach
leave. This separation anxiety is normal -your-baby-6-12-months/
The Power of Hugs
A simple hug can reap tremendous bene- tunities he’ll have to devel- feeling warm inside. That’s
fits for both you and your child. In fact, op his amazing brain. the hormone of love and con-
according to Michele Borba, author of Hugs deliver important nection working its magic,
UnSelfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed health benefits. according to Borba. And the
in Our All-About-Me World, a hug could Looking for a powerful truly magical thing about
very well be “the most powerful tool in mood-booster that deliv- this connection is the fact
your parenting toolkit.” ers a smorgasbord of oth- that hugs offer as much
Not only does a hug boost levels of the er health benefits, too? benefit to the giver as they
feel-good hormone oxytocin: it also re- Look no further than the do to the receiver: “It’s not
duces levels of the stress hormone cor- closest hug. Hugs can help just a one-way street.”
tisol. The result? A less stressed and to lower your blood pressure and reduce Here’s some final evidence about the far
more blissed out you. your heart rate. They can even give your -reaching impact of hugs. The hugs you
Hugs are good for kids’ brains. immune system a boost, helping you to give your child today are an investment
Hugs boost feelings of connectedness ward off the common cold. And it’s all in his long-term emotional health, influ-
and security, something that delivers a thanks to the stress-reducing powers of encing his ability to give and receive love
powerful developmental boost. After all, oxytocin. for many years to come: “What we really
when a young child feels safe and secure, Hugs function as powerful relationship want is for our children to become that
he’s more willing to take the kind of risks glue. emotionally healthy, empathic person
that lead to learning—like beginning to Hugs help to forge a powerful bond be- who can make a difference in the world,”
explore the exciting world beyond your tween you and your child. Some people says Borba. “And it all starts with that
lap. As Borba notes, “The more secure refer to it as an elevating glow because one-on-one connection—with the power
your child is, the more open he’ll be to it lifts your emotions. Others think of it of that hug.” https://www.huggies.com/en-us/tips-advice/
new experiences.” And the more oppor- as a warm glow because it leaves you power-of-hugs/science-of-hugs/power-of-a-hug
How to Pay Off Debt
How much debt do you have? Since you'll have only one monthly income.
Your first step should be to monthly payment to make after The reason your DTI ratio is important is
gather the following information debt consolidation, this makes because creditors look at it when deciding
about each of your debts: debt repayment much simpler whether to approve applications for new cred-
• Type of debt (credit card, and reduces the odds of a it.
personal loan, mortgage, missed due date.
etc.) 4 Debt management plan How can you stay out of debt?
If you decide to work with a • Avoid excessive monthly expenses
• Amount owed credit counseling agency, one Ideally, your essential monthly expenses
• Interest rate option it may present is a debt should be no more than 50% of your income.
management plan. The agency The consumers who get the fanciest homes
• Minimum payment amount would then negotiate your debts
Next, you should calculate your and cars they can afford tend to be the ones
with each of your creditors and who end up in debt.
disposable income. This is the arrange a payment plan that you
money left over each month af- By being conservative with your fixed expens-
can afford. Once the plan is set es, you'll have a comfortable buffer in case of
ter you've paid all your necessary up, you make one payment to the
expenses. Make sure to include a financial emergency.
credit counseling agency per Budget and track what you spend
the minimum payment amounts of all your month, and it distributes your payment to
debts when adding up your necessary expens- There are many different budgeting systems
each of your creditors. out there, but what's important is finding one
es. Your disposable income will be extra money
you can put toward paying off your debt. that you like. No matter how you set up your
Debt repayment options budget, it should have clear limits on how
How does debt affect your credit score?
Debt affects your credit score because it • Balance transfer much you'll spend each month.
determines your credit utilization ratio, which A balance transfer involves moving a balance • Prioritize your savings
is the percentage of your available credit that from one credit card to another. This allows The best financial habit you can start is sav-
you're using. If you have $20,000 in available you to consolidate your debt and potentially ing money first, before you do anything else
credit across all your credit cards and com- get a lower interest rate. with your paycheck. Simply choose an amount
bined balances of $16,000, then your credit • Personal loan and set up an automatic transfer to your sav-
utilization would be 80%. You can apply for a personal loan, and then use ings account after each pay period.
A high credit utilization negatively impacts it to pay off existing debt. This is another
your credit score. With the most widely used • Build an emergency fund
way to consolidate your debt so that you have Your first goal with your savings should be
type of credit score, the FICO® Score, 30% only one monthly payment. Depending on your
of your score is based on your credit utiliza- building an emergency fund. When you have
credit, you may also be able to get a loan with any sort of unexpected expense, an emergen-
tion. a lower interest rate than your debt.
Although there's no specific safe zone to cy fund can cover it so that you don't need to
target, it's best if you don't use more than • Debt settlement borrow money and go into debt.
20% to 30% of your available credit. Debt settlement is when either you or a third
party negotiates with a creditor to pay off Which debt strategy is right for you?
Debt strategies your debt for less than you owe. For example, This depends on the answers to two questions:
1 Debt snowball if you owe $5,000, you could try to settle the Can you make at least minimum payments on all
With the debt snowball method, you always debt for $4,000. your debts?
put your extra money toward the debt with You'll need to be ready to pay the full settle- Do you have good credit (a credit score of at
the smallest balance. ment amount if the creditor agrees to it. Af- least 670)?
Here's an example -- you have a credit card ter the settlement is complete, the creditor Here's what debt strategy to choose based
with a $400 balance, another with a $2,000 will likely report the debt as settled, which on your answers:
balance, and a third with a $5,000 balance. can cause your credit score to drop signifi- • You can make all your payments and
You make the minimum payments on each card, cantly. you have good credit
and any money left over would go toward the • Bankruptcy Apply for either a balance transfer credit
card with the $400 balance. Once you pay off There are two common types of bankruptcy card or a personal loan to consolidate your
that card, you'd put your extra money toward that consumers can file to discharge debt: debt. A balance transfer card is a better
the card with the $2,000 balance. Chapter 7 and Chapter 13. choice if you have only credit card debt, be-
Mathematically, the debt snowball method 1. In Chapter 7 bankruptcy, you liquidate cause you could get a 0% intro APR. If you
isn't optimal. You'd save more money on inter- your assets and, in return, you're able to have multiple types of debt, then you should
est by prioritizing debts with the highest discharge most types of debt. get a personal loan.
interest rates. 2. In Chapter 13 bankruptcy, you set up a • You can make all your payments, but
But this method is extremely popular because payment plan, follow this plan to repay as you don't have good credit
it works from a psychological perspective. much of your debt as possible, and then Use either the debt snowball or the debt
2 Debt avalanche you can discharge remaining debts after avalanche method. Since the debt avalanche
The debt avalanche method involves putting completing that plan. Payment plans gen- method saves money, you should choose that
your extra money toward the debt with the erally last from three to five years. one if you're confident you can stay on track
highest interest rate. After you pay it off, The type of bankruptcy you qualify for de- with all your payments. If you prefer a meth-
you progress to the debt with the next high- pends on your financial situation. If you make od that will keep you motivated, then go with
est interest rate, and so on. enough money to pass what's known as the the debt snowball.
The obvious benefit of this method is that it means test, then you'll likely need to file
saves you more money on interest compared to Chapter 13 bankruptcy and follow a payment • You can't make all your payments
the debt snowball. It can also help you pay off plan. Although filing bankruptcy can be bene- Contact a nonprofit credit counseling agency
your total debt more quickly. ficial because it allows you to discharge debt, for assistance. It may be able to help you
3 Debt consolidation it will also impact your credit score for sever- adjust your spending and free up enough mon-
Debt consolidation is combining multiple debts al years. ey to make all your payments. If not, you can
into one. The most common ways to do this are ask a counselor about negotiating a debt man-
by getting a personal loan or a balance trans- What is your debt-to-income ratio? agement plan or debt settlement. https://
www.fool.com/the-ascent/personal-finance/how-to-pay-off-debt/
fer credit card, and then using that to pay off Your debt-to-income (DTI) ratio is your com-
all your debts. bined monthly debt payments divided by your
Page 2 Early Head Start Gazette
Announcements
During the month of March we are cele- protein. Healthy alternatives for snacks and des-
brating National Nutrition Month. serts
Each food group has different nutrients,
What is healthy food for kids? which your child’s body needs to grow It’s fine to offer your child snacks, but
and work properly. That’s why we need to try to make sure they’re healthy. Fruit
Healthy food for
eat a range of foods and vegetables are a good choice – for
preschoolers in-
from across all five example, thinly sliced carrot with dips
cludes a wide varie-
food groups. like hummus, guacamole or tzatziki.
ty of fresh foods
from the five Healthy drinks: water The same goes for dessert at the end of
healthy food groups: a meal. Sliced fruit or yogurt are healthy
Water is the healthi-
options. If you want to serve something
vegetables est drink for children.
special, try homemade banana bread.
It’s also the cheapest.
fruit Save the seriously sweet stuff, like
Most tap water is
cakes and chocolate, for special occa-
grain foods fortified with fluo-
sions like birthdays.
ride for strong teeth
reduced-fat dairy too.
5 Daytime Habits to Help Your Baby Sleep Better at Night
Timing the Last Nap Perfectly sleep.
Be very careful of that last nap. My son Not Skipping Naps
loved to fall asleep later in the day and his While I used to think that skipping a nap
nap kept creeping closer and closer to bed would in turn help my little one sleep more at
time. Once bedtime did arrive, he didn’t night, I was very wrong. Skipping a nap only
want to go to sleep. Make sure that last agitated them and made that dreadful
time is timed correctly and they have at “witching hour” just that much more dreadful.
least four hours of awake time before bed- Babies and toddlers need sleep throughout
time. the day, so make sure you stick with the nap
Making Sure They Were Full and take advantage of that time when they
I wanted to make sure that my little ones are sleeping.
had a full belly when going to bed each Making Sleep “Happy”
night, so I made those last feeds just a little bit longer so Overall, you want to make sleep time a happy time. You want
that they wouldn’t get hungry and wake up in the middle of the your little one to look at sleep as a positive, not as something
night. that keeps them away from you. Put them down with a smile on
Keeping a Proper Daily Routine your face. Make their sleep environment a peaceful one. The
Routine is key. Make sure that you’re sticking to it throughout more and more you do this, the more they will love going to
the day and especially before bed. That way they know what sleep each night.
to expect when it comes that time when they need to go to https://www.huggies.com/en-us/tips-advice/wellness/sleep-rest/5-daytime-habits-to-help-your-baby-sleep-
better-at-night
How to Protect Yourself & Others (Covid 19)
Three Important Ways to Slow the to avoid spread to others.
Spread • Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer
1. Wear a mask to protect yourself and before putting on your mask.
others and stop the spread of COVID-
19. • Wear your mask over your nose and
2. Stay at least 6 feet (about 2 arm mouth and secure it under your chin.
lengths) from others who don’t live • Fit the mask snugly against the sides of
with you. your face, slipping the loops over your ears
3. Avoid crowds. The more people you are or tying the strings behind your head.
in contact with, the more likely you are • If you have to continually adjust your
to be exposed to COVID-19. mask, it doesn’t fit properly, and you might
need to find a different mask type or
Wear a mask brand.
• Everyone 2 and older should wear masks in public. • Make sure you can breathe easily.
• Masks should be worn in addition to staying at least 6 • Effective February 2, 2021, masks are required on planes,
feet apart, especially around people who don’t live with buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation
you. traveling into, within, or out of the United States and in
• If someone in your household is infected, people in the U.S. transportation hubs such as airports and stations.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html
household should take precautions including wearing masks
Page 3
Papaya baby food ideas Is papaya healthy for babies?
Stir finely diced Yes. Ripe papaya fruit is
papaya into cooked packed with vitamins A and
brown rice and C—essential nutrients to
serve as a side support your baby’s eye-
dish. That little sight, immune system, and
extra sweetness skin. Vitamin C also helps
will make the rice your baby absorb iron from
so much more de- plant-based foods, and pa-
sirable to baby! paya has loads of vitamin C,
even more than apples, ba-
Mix pureed papaya
nanas, and oranges. The
with natural yo-
fruit also offers plenty of B
gurt, mashed avo-
vitamins for energy, vitamin
cado and chopped,
E for stronger cells, and
cooked chicken for
fiber for a healthy gut.
a fun and fruity
salad. It would be wise to start
with ripe papaya fruit and wait until your child is older to serve
Sprinkle half a papaya with ground ginger and rub with
green or unripe papaya. While information and research are limited,
unsalted butter. Place in a baking pan, pour in 3/4 inch
studies show that unripe papaya fruit contains more latex and papain
boiling water and bake at 400 deg F (200 deg C) for 20
than ripe papaya, which can act as irritants (these may also promote
to 30 minutes. Try serving as a side dish with a savoury
contractions in pregnant women).2 Animal research also suggests
meal… weird but wonderful!
that the seeds or seed extract may not be safe for expecting
Add sliced papaya to the poaching liquid for the last moms.3
few minutes when cooking fish – papaya and fish make a
delicious combination! ★Tip: Always wash ripe papaya. The fruit is commonly sprayed with
pesticides, and washing the skin before cutting through it can help
minimize your baby’s exposure to toxins. https://solidstarts.com/foods/papaya/
#:~:text=Ripe%20papaya%20fruit%20is%20packed,apples%2C%20bananas%2C%20and%20oranges.
When can babies eat papaya?
Ripe papaya fruit may be intro- shaped like a pear, others are oblong
duced as soon as your baby is and weigh up to five pounds—with
ready to start solids, which is gen- flesh that ranges in color from salmon
erally around 6 months of age. -red to peachy pink to fiery yellow.
Botanically a berry, papaya fruit can
Papaya flowers, leaves, roots, and be eaten raw, like a melon when it is
seeds are also edible, but there is ripe, or cooked like squash when it is
limited research on the safety of still young, firm, and green. As young
these foods for babies and tod- papaya fruit ripens, its pulp softens
dlers. The same goes for young and its green skin fades, some to a
papaya, also known as green papaya pale yellow, others to deep gold with
or unripe papaya. Consider waiting blushes of pink. The aroma of papaya
until your child is older and has fruit also changes as it ripens, at first
developed advanced eating skills to bright and sweet, then increasingly
serve the unripe fruit and other earthy and musky as the fruit over
parts of the plant and note that ripens. The pronounced smell comes
the information below is all about from papain, a plant enzyme that helps
ripe papaya fruit—a terrific first food for babies and tod- our bodies break down proteins and that can be used in mari-
dlers. nades and rubs to tenderize meat.
Papaya originated in Central America before it was taken by ★Tip: Whole papaya is ripe and ready to eat when most of the
European colonizers to Africa, Asia, and Australia, where it is green skin has faded, it is fragrant, and it gives when
sometimes called papaw. Today the fruit tree thrives wherev- pressed—like a ripe avocado, melon, or tomato. Mottled brown
er skies are sunny, temperatures are consistently warm, and spots on the skin and a musky smell are signs that the fruit
there is plenty of rainfall to plump up the fruit. Like all pro- has reached peak ripeness. https://solidstarts.com/foods/papaya/#:~:text=Ripe%
duce, there are different varieties—some are small and 20papaya%20fruit%20is%20packed,apples%2C%20bananas%2C%20and%20oranges.
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