Putnam County Help Me Grow

11/14/2025

11/14/2025

A huge thank you to our friends at Morman Family Chiropractic for the delicious “thank you” cookies! Your kindness truly made our day. 💛🍪

We appreciate your support, your generosity, and the way you brighten our community! Thank you for thinking of us! 🍪

11/08/2025

Creating a Cozy Indoor Play Space for Your Toddler: Post 3
👉Rotate, Don’t Add
-Swap out a few items every week or two.
-This keeps curiosity alive without needing to buy anything new.

🧠 Why This Matters

A toddler-accessible space supports:
🎨Independence (they choose what to explore)
🎨Curiosity (they discover new ways to use objects)
🎨Problem-solving (they experiment with stacking, filling, sorting, etc.)
🎨Confidence (success and mastery during play builds self-esteem)

11/07/2025

Creating a Cozy Indoor Play Space for Your Toddler: Post 2
If you don't want toys in your living room, create a reading spot!
🌈 Add Warm, Inviting Touches

👉A small reading corner with pillows or a toddler chair
👉Soft lighting (lamp or string lights vs. bright overhead lights)
👉A basket of books they can flip through any time

Inviting spaces feel calm and safe.

11/06/2025

Creating a Cozy Indoor Play Space for Your Toddler: Post 1
As the weather gets colder and we spend more time inside, it’s a great opportunity to create a toddler-friendly space that encourages curiosity, learning, and independence!

Here are some simple ways to set up a play space right in your living room:

👉 Keep things low and accessible:
Use low shelves or baskets with a few toys your child can reach on their own. Fewer items means deeper play!
👉 Offer open-ended materials:
Think blocks, stacking cups, board books, simple puzzles, crayons and paper, or safe household items like wooden spoons and containers. These spark imagination and problem-solving.

10/24/2025

Fill the Jug!

Here’s a fun, hands-on activity your little one will love!

Grab an empty jug (like a milk or juice jug) and some pom poms or other small, safe items. Sit together and show your child how to push the pom poms through the opening. When it’s full, turn it over and shake them out — then start again! 🎉

What your child is learning:

Fine Motor Skills: Strengthening small muscles in the hands and fingers.

Eye-Hand Coordination: Aiming for the opening helps develop focus and control.

Cognitive Development: Practicing problem-solving and persistence as they figure out how to make it work!

It’s simple, fun, and a great way to turn everyday items into a learning adventure!

10/21/2025

🍂🎃 Fall in a Bowl! 🍎🍁

Here’s a fun and simple Fall activity for infants 6 months and older — full of color, texture, and learning!

Grab a mixing bowl and a few Fall items like small pumpkins, leaves, and apples. Sit with your baby and explore together:
👀 Talk about what your baby sees and does.
✋ Describe how each object feels — smooth, bumpy, crunchy!
🔊 If you use a metal bowl, listen to the fun sounds as your baby bangs or drops items inside!

💪 Motor Development: Baby strengthens small muscles in their hands while moving and banging the objects.
🗣️ Language Development: You’re helping build vocabulary by describing what’s happening in the moment.

It’s the perfect way to bring the sights, sounds, and textures of fall right to your baby’s fingertips! 🍁

10/17/2025

Happy National Pasta Day! 🍝
Celebrate this delicious day with a fun, kid-friendly pasta dinner! Cooking together is a great way to spend quality time, encourage curiosity in the kitchen, and build early math and language skills (counting noodles and naming ingredients!).
**Try an easy Cheesy Veggie Pasta — mix your favorite noodles with cooked veggies, a little butter, and melty cheese. 🧀🥦

It’s simple, tasty, and perfect for little helpers in the kitchen!

10/14/2025

👶💬 Face-to-Face Talking With Your Newborn 💬👶

One of the best ways to connect with your newborn is through simple face-to-face talking!

✨ How to do it:

Hold your baby so they can clearly see your face and mouth.

Talk using “parentese” — speak slowly, clearly, and with a warm, higher-pitched tone.

Watch their responses — your baby may move their mouth, kick their feet, or widen their eyes.

Respond to their cues — this back-and-forth builds trust and communication!

💗 What’s in it for your baby:

Social-Emotional: Your baby learns about faces, connection, and may start trying to imitate your mouth movements.

Language: Your baby begins to recognize familiar voices — especially those they heard often in the womb!

Every coo, smile, and gaze helps your baby learn you — and the world around them. 🥰

10/10/2025

🩷 This is important. Postpartum depression and anxiety don’t always look like what you see in the movies. Sometimes it’s tears you can’t explain. Sometimes it’s anger, racing thoughts, or feeling like you’re just “not yourself.”

You are not failing. You are not alone.
1 in 5 moms experience a perinatal mood or anxiety disorder — and it’s treatable.

If you notice yourself:
💭 Feeling anxious or overwhelmed most of the day
💤 Unable to sleep even when baby sleeps
💔 Feeling disconnected from your baby
😔 Having scary thoughts or guilt that won’t go away

Please reach out. Talk to your provider, your partner, a trusted friend — or call or text the Postpartum Support International HelpLine: 1-800-944-4773.

Asking for help is not weakness. It’s strength.
Your mental health matters just as much as your baby’s. 💕