Greater Hartford - Connecticut

Parenting Education Network

Minutes

09/01/09

Present: Diana Thibodeau, Renee' Howell, Tammy Joyner, Margie Williams, Sheri Barao, Heather Daniel, Lesa Lovelace, Kathy Service, Sandra Snyder, Tanya Schweitzer, Karen Mastroianni, Lynn Webber, Mary Burke, Ramary Figueroa, Jenessa Benoit, Charlie Slaughter and Patty Berky

      Breakfast/Introductions

      Housekeeping

Please, park behind the building on either side.  Do not park in front as those spots are reserved for employees and handicapped parking.  Thank-you to CAFAP for hosting us and providing hot beverages.

      Presentation by Charlie Slaughter, MPH, RD - DCF

STRENGTHENING THE MEALTIME ENVIRONMENT TO

SUPPORT CHILDREN'S HEALTHY DEVELOPMENT,

EATING CAPABILITIES AND LIFE SKILLS

Discussion around the connection between attachment theory and how it relates to eating.  Unstructured & Rigid Mealtime Environments can have detrimental effects.  Ideally, parents provide a safe, nurturing, developmentally challenging mealtime which in turn supports a secure attachment.  Parents are to create small challenges with loving support and a safe way out in order to expand children's dietary menu.  Mealtime can either build emotional connectedness or emotional disconnectedness.  Reframe mealtimes to build capabilities, i.e. self regulation, allowing the child to determine hungry or full.  Eating capabilities leads to emotional connectedness.  If you want to make sure a child does not like a food, force him/her to eat it.  Be careful, fine line between encouragement and requirement when supporting a child to try new foods.  In addition to FOOD have mealtime also provide LOVE, CARE and ATTENTION.  Involve children in selecting, growing, preparing foods and they will enjoy the process more.  Parents can have a hand in determining what foods are offered to the child, but the child can decide how much or whether to eat the food.  Books recommended included: Meaningful Differences in the Everyday Lives of Kids and General Theory of Love.

      Presenter for Next Meeting

Potential Topic: Healthcare

      Next Meeting 11/03/09

Patty Berky will bring refreshments.

CAFAP will provide coffee & tea.

      Meetings will take place the first Tuesday of every other month from 9:30AM-11:30AM @ CAFAP in Rocky Hill 2189 Silas Deane Highway.  Next Meeting Scheduled for November 3^rd.

      Structure of Meetings:

-       Networking/Breakfast

-       Agenda/Announcements

-       Bring Curriculums

-       Discuss an Agency's Services

-       Case Presentations/Families' Needs/Resource Sharing

-       Update from State Level CT-PEN

-       Presenters From the Community

Minutes Prepared by:
Patricia A. Berky