inside
What Can This Program For More Information -
Do For You?
Preparing to Parent, Parenting the - on how to distribute Preparing to
First Year, and Parenting the Second Parent, Parenting the First Year or
and Third Years are proven resources Parenting the Second and Third Years
that provide opportunities for your in your community:
organization to:
Maintain visibility with new parents Within Wisconsin contact:
throughout the year, with age-
paced, monthly or bi-monthly The Family Living Agent in your
newsletters. Your organization's Cooperative Extension county Early Childhood
office. Look for Extension under
name can be printed on them.
Provide a research-based your county name in the phone Brain Development:
community service that is proven book.
effective in improving early We Know It's Important,
parenting skills. Outside Wisconsin contact:
Reach beyond the boundaries of But What Can We Do
race, social class, or physical Professor Dave Riley
University of Wisconsin About It?
distance at a minimal cost. Reach
socially isolated families. 1300 Linden Dr.
Develop a coalition of community Madison, WI, USA 53706-1575
organizations to address the local
Tele: 608-262-3314
Preparing to Parent
needs of parents.
E-mail
dariley@wisc.edu
Parenting the First Year
"The return on investment for the
hospital in terms of positive
Website
community service was excellent. We
www.uwex.edu/ces/flp/parenting
Parenting the Second
were surprised at the number of calls
from parents who gave us their
and Third Years
enthusiastic thanks."
Waukesha Memorial Hospital
Administrator
outside
inside
EARLY EXPERIENCE A Program You Can Use Proven Effective
AND
BRAIN DEVELOPMENT Here is a proven way to help Parents really read the parenting
parents: Preparing to Parent, newsletters. Written at 5th grade
We have known for many years that Parenting the First Year and reading level (good for 91% of the U.S.
early experience has a big impact on a Parenting the Second and Third Years adult public), they come in English and
child's later abilities. Recent research instructional newsletter series. They Spanish editions.
has shown us how and why early address some of the best known threats Parents rate the newsletters "very
experience is important to early brain development: useful" more often than any other
source of parenting information,
The prenatal period is a critical time Chemical exposure (including lead, including relatives, friends, health
for infant development. The Preparing cigarette smoke, alcohol, poisons). professionals, and other written
to Parent newsletters help reinforce the Inadequate nutrition (e.g. folic acid materials.
health behavior advice that medical prevents neural tube defects) In a field experiment, parents who
professionals provide to expectant Undiagnosed perception problems received Parenting the First Year:
parents. Since babies' brains are not (including hearing and vision).
fully-grown at birth, early experiences Child abuse and neglect (it provides Reported striking their babies
in the first several years after birth alternate social cognitions to the significantly fewer times in the
change the way the brain grows. ones that commonly lead to abuse previous week than those parents
or neglect, and it tells parents what who did not receive it.
We know quite a bit about the kinds to do instead of striking children).
of parenting that are better, or worse, Provided an early home
for children's development. But how They also address the most environment that was more
can we get that information into the important features of early parenting intellectually stimulating.
hands of parents, in a form that they competence, especially focusing on:
can really use? Had beliefs significantly less like
The sensitively responsive those of child abusing parents.
parenting that leads to secure
attachment. "The parenting skills in my family
"My husband has learned more from Promotion of early language were not the ones I wanted to pass on
these newsletters than I thought stimulation. to my child. I like to study the
possible. He says to keep up the alternatives your letter provides."
good work!!" Dane County Parent
LaCrosse County Parent
outside