Family Focus
Programs & Ideas | August 2021
In-Person Groups this Summer
Check out our in-person groups for families in August:

Family Morning Out groups now meet RAIN or SHINE!
  • Mondays at the Community Campus in Portsmouth (back playground, or the gym if it rains)
  • Fridays and Idlehurst School in Somersworth (kindergarten playground, or the gym if it rains)
Both meet 10-11am.

Family Swim at the Portsmouth Y is on August 13th from 5-7 PM. Sign up here.
Smart but Scattered Kids
A Workshop with Dr. Peg Dawson
Tuesday, August 24, on Zoom from 6:30-8 pm
Dr. Peg Dawson, EdD, will talk with us about executive skills — what they are and why they are so important for our kids.

“Executive skills” — such as sustained attention, planning, organization, and persistence — help children succeed in school and, more importantly, to get things done in their lives. Some kids seem to acquire these brain-based skills naturally, but many struggle with them. Join us to learn more about how these skills develop throughout childhood and ways to help our kids gain these important skills.
Parent Cafe: Back to School with Courage and Hope
Wednesday, Sept. 1st
6-7:30 PM
James Foley Memorial Community Center (formerly the Rochester Community Center) 
150 Wakefield St., Rochester
 
The back-to-school season brings both excitement and anxiety for kids and adults – especially as we continue to grapple with the impact of the pandemic. This Café is an opportunity for parents to connect and gain inspiration and ideas for a successful, happy beginning to a new school year.

  • Free and open to parents, grandparents and caregivers of kids of all ages
  • Free child care available for kids ages 12 and under
  • Light dinner will be provided for kids and adults
  • Gift-card raffle for Back to School supplies!

Please note that we will follow COVID guidelines and will notify participants if the location changes.
Check out these Back-to-School Virtual Workshops offered by the Parent Information Center. They focus on the special education process, the IEP, and building strong home-school partnerships.
Active Parenting Offered in Somersworth this Fall
Tuesdays, 9/7-10/5
6-7:30 PM
Somersworth

This program helps parents understand how brain development affects children’s behaviors and decision-making.

Reducing power struggles, winning cooperation, teaching responsibility, and building courage, character and self esteem are some of the topics that will be discussed in a friendly, supportive setting. Ideal for parents and grandparents of children ages 4-14
The program is free and free childcare is provided if the group meets in-person. Advance sign-up is required, and participants are encouraged to attend all 5 sessions.

This series is tentatively scheduled to be offered in-person in Somersworth, but it may be offered virtually instead due to changing Covid guidelines. We will stay in touch with everyone who signs up to confirm the location.
What is a Micro-Adventure and Why Does it Matter?
It turns out that even three minutes of experiencing "awe" is good for our mental health, especially if it involves focusing on something in the natural world.
 
Take your kids on a walk in your own yard or your neighborhood with the goal of discovering something you have never seen before! You can lift a big rock: What is underneath? ... Take a really close look at a puddle or a flower: What do you notice? ... Observe an ant hill very closely: The ants are so busy; what are they doing?
 
Have lots of micro-adventures this summer! Noticing, appreciating and feeling amazed by what we see in the world around us can lift our spirits in a powerful way.