24 - Friday, October 16, 1992 — North Shore News Children are individuals with unique needs IF BABIES came with a manual, fewer parents would. have problems or in- decision about how they should be raised. But because parenting has no blueprint, and because every child is different, parenis should be aware of some of the problem areas, and know of places to go if help is required. There are some parents that don’t know anything about babies, some- don't realize that there is always a reason when a Children & Maternity Consignment Quality Wear Boomers & | choes Why Buy New? Visit Our Store We carry a large selection of quality consignment children’s sizes 0-12 years and maternity wear. We also carry NEW, quality 100% cotton goods at reasonable prices. 108 W. 17th St., N. Vancouver 984-6163 oT Because kids don’t come with instructions... North Shore Family Services offers the following parenting courses three times per year: Parenting the Nine Month to Two Year Old Parents of Tots & Preschoolers Parents of School Age Children Parents of Teens - Heping For Harmony Blended Parenting Bicultural Parenting Siblings Without Rivalry NSFSS. offers Family Drop-In Programs where parents, caregivers, and children under five can meet, with supervised play for the children and a welcome break for the adults. For Information: North Shore Family Services 988-5281 303 - 126 E. 15th St., North Vancouver V7N 1G1 ALLEGRA AND BUNDLES MATERNITY SHOPS Fall fashions for work or play are now available at Vancouver's only designer and import maternity store. 805 West Broadway 879-7443 baby cries, said Sue Fitzwilson, program director of the North Shore Parents Resources and Education Program (PREP). PREP works in stages:.a baby stage (until 12 to 18 months), toddler stage (until three), and the preschool stage (for three- to five-year olds). But even within those stages, said Fitzwilson, there are many different developmental periods. “There is a tremendous difference between a three and five year old,”’ and the same is true for the other stages. . “Parents often don't know what their child’s needs are at dif- ferent stages,’* she explained. Children have very different play and emotional needs at different Stages. While an infant needs nurtur- ing, a toddler’s goal is to become more independent, said Fitz- wilson. The family of origin often gets in the way of a child’s individual needs, she said, explaining that parents usually raise their children the way they were raised or go in the opposite direction because of a bad experience. But, she added, each child is a different person, with a different personatity, different securities and insecurities, and different needs. : ‘*Pay attention to your child’s needs. See your child for who they ere.’' Every child needs routines, Fitzwilson said. This helps them to feel safe and secure. Children of all ages watch, she Household BAD WEATHER outside usually means playtime inside for children, but home can be a far mere dangerous place than the outdoors, Childress’ are often unpredic- table, so spend a few minutes learning how to deal with com- . mon accidents, especially poison- ing. _ A poison is simply anything not intended to be eaten as food, said. ‘*They learn through wat- ching.** Some problems occur because a Parent’s expectations are too high or simply inappropriate for the child. If children are offered a toy that is beyond their capabilities they will become frustrated. while if they are offered a toy that is too simple for them, they become bored, she explained. Some toys, like blocks, can be used by children at different stages in different ways. First they will build a tower, then a bridge, and then a building. “Kids and toys grow together.’’ Parents should also be aware of individuai development. A child might have advanced verbal skills, yet be developing slower in other areas, said Fitzwilson. Parents are providing _ their children with the tools for life as an adult, and by helping them to build self-esteem, having good communication, setting reasonable and fair limits, offering them lots of love, and being consistent in dealings with them,, a parent will be giving them those tools. Children also need to have a wide range of different experi- ences so they can find thcir own way in terms of interests rather than having the interests of the parents forced upon them, she added. Parents who fail to recognize and satisfy their children’s needs can end up with problems that re- quire help. : Anger management, child de- velopment and limit setting are common areas where parents often need guidence from profes- sionals, said Fitzwilson. : But resources do exist, she said. Books and television programs as wellascommunity programs can give Parents a wide range of informa- tion. “Parenting is a major job, and they need to have the tools to do the job well,’’ said Fitzwilson. The tools for everyday problems can also be Jearned through North Shore Family Services’ (NSFS) parenting programs. ‘*We consider it getting through the normal aspects of parenting,’’ said Li Boesen, coordinator. of family life education for NSFS. A United Way member agency, NSFS exists to strengthen and enrich North Shore families. Their parenting programs can be found through their own brochure or through the Joy of Learning, North Shore Continuing Educa- tion's information book on classes on the North Shore. NSFS offers a wide-range of classes for parents including anger management, positive discipline, and hiring a nanny; but Boesen said their most popular class is Parenting for Tots and Preschoolers. , “If it’ (a class) doesn’t exist, we'll gladiy make orie,"’ she add- - ed, explaining that they require interest from at least eight people. Although all of their classes have fees, subsidies are available. NSFS classes run for - three months and new programs are in- troduced three times annually. See Seek page 25 items can hurt children from: paint flakes to vitamin pills, machine oil to medicine. Pre- schoolers are learning about tastes — they don’t know sweet from sour or bland from spicy — only that the world is full of new and different tastes. It doesn’t help that varnish pours like table syrup or grouting corapound looks like flour. If parents take pilis to feel better, a toddier wants the whole bottle. Headache pills, household bleach and tranquilizers are the most prevalent child poisoners. Make a thorough search arcund the house to clean up potential trouble spots. Adults with hobbies often leave things lying around. Lock them up out of reach. The same goes for indoor cleaning products. Poisoning requires prompt ac- tion. Ask a doctor or pharmacist to explain the categories of poison treatment to be prepared. For example, some poisons can be neutralized or diluted. Some can be vomited while others should not. Parents should teach themselves what action to take at home and where to go for profes- sional help. If they do have to take a poisoned child for treat- ment, they should remember to take the poison container along with them. 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