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Spring '08 Newsletter




Issue: # 1 May 2008 
Newsletter
"Spring has Sprung"
Welcome to the Jersey City Parenting Newsletter! 

We are excited to bring you our first Newsletter.  Our goal is to provide you with valuble eductational information, community updates, parent profiles and a up to date calendar of classes, workshops and groups.  

NEW SPRING CLASSES

 

Infant/Child CPR Certification

A MUST for mom, dads, expecting parents, grandparents, babysitters and anyone else that spends time with children from 0-8 years of age. We review prevention of accidents, child proofing, poison emergencies, infant/child rescue breathing, infant/child CPR, helping an infant/child choking victim and much more!  Participants will receive the American Heart Association certification for this class.

Sunday, May 18, 2008      9:00 am to 1:00 pm
Monday. May 19, 2008     6:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Fee: $70/per person


Dad's Infant Massage Class

The perfect Father's Day gift for that special dad and baby in your life.  This really is the gift that will keep on giving.  New dad's will learn techniques which have been taught for centuries that help relax, sooth and even put their little one to sleep.  This class is for dad's and infants five months and younger.

Sunday, June 1, 2008   11:00 am to 1:00 pm

Fee: $40/per dad (infants free...)

Both of these classes will be held at A Sound Start, 489 Jersey Ave. @ Mercer Street

For more info on any of these programs and to purchase using  please check our website...  www.jcparenting.com/events

In This Issue 

What are the Baby Blues? 
Parent Profile 
Spring Workshops

Getting Ready for Baby!
TBA
489 Jersey Avenue


Childcare in Jersey City
May 19th - 6:30 to 8:30 pm
489 Jersey Avenue

For Details check our calendar

 

Mothers' Meetings 
Mothers' Meetings start on May 6th with our 6 week Spring Session..  Great way to get out with your baby and meet other neighborhood moms. 

New Mothers (0 to 6 months olds)
Tuesdays 12:30 to 1:30 pm

New Mothers II (6 to 18 month olds)
Thursdays 11:30 to 12:30 pm

Second Time Around (Raising two or more children)
Thursdays 1:00 to 2:00 pm

Our Price: $ 55 for the 6 week sereis

To sign up for any of these groups using PAYPAL go to..
http://www.jcparenting.com/events.html




Follow up from "What are the Elementary Schools in JC Really Like?"

Thank you to everyone who made this event a huge success.  Especially Shelley Skinner, Founder of Jersey City Families for Better Schools who took time out of her weekend to come and speak about this incredibly important topic.  It was amazing to see so many families with infants and toddlers take such a huge interest in the JC educational system years before their children are even eligible to attend elementary school.  It spoke to how many of you are truly vested in raising your families in this community.  We can only hope that this trend will have a real impact.  I hope that everyone found this workshop to be informative and educational.  JC Parenting will be offering a wide range of community interest workshops in the future.




 
What are the baby blues? 

I often get this question from women.  What exactly are the baby blues and how is it different from postpartum depression?  Well there is a big difference between the two and just understanding a few of the most common symptoms can better help you understand what it is you are going through.

The baby blues usually start about three or four days after the birth of your baby.  Right about the time that your hormones are going completely nuts and you have hit the wall with extreme exhaustion.  It makes perfect sense if you think about it, which is probably why studies have shown that as many as 85% of all new mom's report having these symptoms.  Woman report feeling exhausted but unable to sleep, moody, tearful, anxious...and basically pretty depressed.  If in fact it is just the blues you should see symptoms disappear within 10 to 14 days from their onset.  About the time when your hormones stabilize and you start to feel better physically.  If the symptoms do persist it is a good idea to talk to your health care provider. 

Postpartum depression is often confused with the blues but it is different.  Symptoms may not even appear in the initial weeks after the birth of your baby.  They can actually develop any time during the first year.   Some of the symptoms will include insomnia, sadness, diminished interest in joyous activities, difficulty concentrating, change in appetite, anxiety, guilt, mood swings, withdrawal from loved ones, scary thoughts and panic attacks.  You don't have to have all of these symptoms all of the time to be suffering from PPD.  Some of these symptoms are definitely part of being a new parent and are normal emotions to have once in a while.  It is when you have many of these symptoms most of the time and they do not seem to go away that it may be time to speak to a professional.  Especially if you have a personal or family history of depression or anxiety disorders.  This dramatically increases your chances of having PPD. 

Postpartum depression is a treatable illness that usually resolves itself with the proper treatment.  This can include psychotherapy, group therapy, medication, regular exercise, nutrition and family support.

The most important first step is to reach out for help from a health care professional that understands PPD.  If you have further questions about this illness I encourage you to call the New Jersey PPD Helpline at (800) 328-3838.




 
Parent Profile 
 
This issue we are featuring local mom of two and President of the Hamilton Park Neighborhood Association.. Jennifer Greely. 

JCP: How old are your Children?

Jen G.: Xavier is 2 1/2 years old and Nathaniel is 7 months.

JCP:  How long have you lived in JC and where did you move here from?

Jen G.:  We moved here in June of 2004, so almost 4 years ago. Before that we lived in Brooklyn. 

JCP:  What was the biggest attraction for you to JC and what was the hardest thing to get used to?

Jen G.:  The biggest attraction at first was finding a neighborhood with beautiful housing in an historic district (with much more space than what we could afford in Brooklyn). This  combined with a very short commute for Dave to his job in lower Manhattan was too good not to explore further.

The hardest thing to get used to was the somewhat backwards-acting local government. There were times - like when we tried to obtain a parking permit from the parking authority for our moving van - when we realized living in this city was like being in a time warp back to the 1980s.

JCP:   Was it a difficult decision deciding to raise your children here?

Jen G.:  Not at all. We got to know a friendly and diverse community and couldn't imagine moving away from the tight-knit neighborhood in Hamilton Park. This was true especially for me as a stay-at-home-mom who (like all moms!) still needs regular adult conversation or interaction. All I had to do was sit on the stoop or take a short walk to the park or coffee shop and I was pretty much guaranteed to run into a familiar face. 

JCP:  What is your favorite thing to do with your children in JC?

Jen G.:  We have several favorites. The playgrounds at Hamilton and Van Vorst parks are naturals - VVP for the playground and Hamilton Park for the open space that allows my toddler room to run or push his favorite doll stroller around.

We also like to pack a snack and go sit across from one of the many construction sites around town - big tractors, cranes, bulldozers and trucks - good (and free!) toddler entertainment doesn't get much better than that.

Walks along the waterfront are another favorite, what with all the sailboats, ferries, barges, and helicopters to watch. 
JCP:  Do you take any classes with your kids that you would recommend?

Jen G.:  The classes with Andi at A Sound Start are fantastic. My older son and I did the baby music classes there for a year and a half and it's a good scheduled activity for both of us to socialize.

We also did the Sign-and-Sing class with Andi, which integrates baby sign language with music. Signing was a godsend in reducing frustration when our son was a bit delayed with his speech - by the time he was two he was signing full sentences with us, and much of it was due to our classes with Andi. Once he started speaking verbally he quickly moved to full sentence use, which I think was due to the foundation laid by using the baby signs.

I'm now doing the baby music series with our younger son Nathaniel while Xavier has started tumbling at The Little Gym, which has been great for building his confidence and getting out that seemingly endless toddler energy.

JCP:  What do you wish JC had that we don't already (related to kids, parents or family life)?

Jen G.:  Safe bicycle lanes along the roads, especially between the waterfront area and the rest of Downtown. The waterfront is a beautiful area to bike along with kids but it is an absolute nightmare trying to get there safely in traffic.

A large community center - some areas of JC have public use recreational facilities, but this space is lacking downtown. Especially in the winter months, an indoor children's art/play center would be invaluable for the cabin fever that sets in. It would also be great to have this space for community groups to meet with a room for parents to arrange for childcare while attending meetings or seminars in the evenings.

JCP:  What resources would you share with a new family in JC?

Jen G.:  I recommend two yahoo groups, JC Family and JC Families for Better Schools (www.jerseycityschools.org). JC Family is a great resource for all things family-related, from hearing about child-friendly events to finding a good babysitter. JC Families for Better Schools is a new advocacy group made up of families, educators, and politicians seeking to improve the Jersey City public school system. The Yahoo group has notices related to the school calendar such as enrollment, as well as great "insider" discussions on what the schools are really like.

JCP:  Favorite places to shop in JC for food, clothes etc?

Jen G.:  Far and away my favorite place to shop for clothes or baby items is Duck, Duck, Goose, the children's consignment shop on Erie Street between 1st and Bay. It's fantastic not only because the prices can't be beat for exceptional quality, but the variety of brands is great and they rotate stock frequently.

For extra special occasions, though, I like Maximilian's on Christopher Columbus near the Grove PATH. In addition to beautiful clothing, they carry quality wooden PlanToys which are eco-friendly and last a lifetime. Their customer service is superb, too (free assembly and delivery!).

Food shopping is a bit more challenging here in Jersey City. We rotate a weekly trip for staples to Trader Joes up in Edgewater with necessities from Target, and the A&P grocery store on 16th Street. Subia's on Jersey Avenue is also a great family-run smaller grocery stores that carry organic meats and produce. The sisters who run Subia's are very helpful in accommodating children with restrictive allergic diets and can help meal-plan or special order birthday cakes free of top allergens.

JCP:  How did you meet other families/mom's in the neighborhood?

Jen G.:  I've met most of my mom friends mostly from hanging out in Hamilton Park or through my local neighborhood association. With the birth of my first son, I joined a local new moms group and we rotated hosting coffee at our houses once a week. We met for about a year and still talk frequently in the park and on email.

Since the birth of my second son I've started up the weekly mom/baby coffee mornings with other new (or re-new) moms. Really, though, I've found that even just casually chatting and saying hello to people at the local coffee shop or playground can often lead to a playdate or invitation to coffee. The key is not to be shy, just try to have one room in the house at least semi-presentable to guests and a coffee pot or tea kettle at the ready. Every mom I know is just grateful for the time to chat and let the kids or babies play.

JCP:  Any advice for new families?

Jen G.:  Whether or not we want it, remember that we're all in this together - parents, kids, caregivers, family, neighbors, friends. Our kids are growing up as a generation and it's up to us collectively to raise them in a conscientious and mindful manner. So reach out to your neighbors with kids, set up playdates (for adults and kids - Friday evenings in the summer are a favorite with families on our street), and embrace the diversity that makes up the fabric of our city.


Thanks to Jen Greely for taking the time out for this interview!!  Look for more Parent Profiles in our future newsletter's.
 




I hope that you have enjoyed our first newsletter.  Please feel free to send me your comments and be sure to check the website frequently for up to date info on all our programs...

Sincerely,


Diana Perales, LCSW
Director
Jersey City Parenting