Welcome to RACCAP

The Rappahannock Area Council for Children and Parents, has been helping and supporting parents and children for over a decade, providing educational and supportive services to the Fredericksburg Area community. RACCAP began its efforts to educate parents about positive parenting techniques in September 1989. In January 2006 RACCAP changed the name of the organization to its current name - the Rappahannock Area Council for Children and Parents - to reflect the positive mission of the work of the organization. RACCAP works with other local, state and national organizations to help families by implementing new and innovative child abuse prevention and awareness programs and provides the technical support needed to ensure our programs continued success. Our motto - Cherish Our Children - demonstrates our commitment to the children of our community.

IN THIS ISSUE - MARCH 2011 - ISSUE 1 - VOLUME 1

Adult Topics Talk With Your Child About Drugs 2/28 - 3/3

Meal Times - Good Times 3/7 - 3/10 Fitness, Food and A Healthy Weight For Your Child 3/14 - 3/17

Children's Activities

Just say no to Drugs! 2/28 - 3/3 Healthy Habits 3/7 - 3/10

Saint Patrick's Day Craft 3/14 - 3/17

The Circle of Parents program offered through the Rappahannock Area Council For Children and Parents (RACCAP) provides parent support services as listed

below. For directions to the group meeting place, click on the site name below to access directions.

The Circle of Parents program is sponsored by Domino's Pizza of Caroline, Papa John's Pizza of Fredericksburg, Stafford, and Spotsylvania, Danny's Pizza of Spotsylvania, WaWa Corporate Charities, VA Family & Children's Trust Fund, and the VA Dept. of Social Services Community Based Child Abuse Prevention Program. Circle of Parents groups meet from 6:30pm - 8:00pm unless otherwise stated below. A pizza

dinner and children's program is provided for free.

Caroline: Wright's Chapel U.M.C.; 8063 Ladysmith Rd. Fredericksburg: Bragg Hill Family Life Center; 400 Bragg Dr., group conducted in Spanish. Fredericksburg: Hazel Hill Community Center; 100 Princess Anne Street. King George: Group is currently not scheduled. Spotsylvania: (Courthouse Area) Christ Church; 8951 Courthouse Rd. Stafford: Meets at 6:00pm - 7:30pm. Head Start Building; 610 Gayle Street. Stafford: Regester Chapel U,M,C.; 85 Bells Hill Rd. WaWa Salem Sposylvania; (Towne Centre Area) Salem Baptist Church; 4044 Plank Rd.

Talk With Your Kids About Drugs

Talking with your child about

drugs....Who has done it? How did the talk go? How did you

approach it? How do you feel

about bringing up the topic? What positive, drug free alternatives do

you do as a family? How do you talk about it? Is this difficult?

How do you as a parent deal with that question as to why it is okay

for adults and young people to

drink but not your child?

Making Meal Times More

Pleasant

Talk with Your Child About Drugs

Don't put off talking about alcohol and other drugs. As early as fourth grade, kids worry about pressures to try drugs. School programs alone aren't enough. Parents must become involved, but most parents aren't sure how to tell their children about drugs. Open communication is one of the most effective tools you can use in helping your child avoid drug use. Talking freely and really listening shows children that they mean a great deal to you.

What do you say?

Tell them that you love them and you want them to be healthy and happy.

Say you do not find alcohol and other illegal drugs use acceptable. Many parents never state this simple principal.

Explain how this use hurts people. Physical harm - AIDS, slowed growth, impaired coordination, accidents. Emotional harm - sense of not belonging, isolation, paranoia. Educational harm - difficulties remembering and paying attention.

Discuss the legal issues. A conviction for a drug offense can lead to time in prison or cost someone a job, driver's license, or college loan.

Talk about positive, drug free alternatives, and how you can explore them together. Some ideas include sports, reading, movies, bike rides, hikes, camping, cooking, games, and concerts. Involve your kids friends.

Don't run a restaurant.

Enjoyable conversation.

What about manners?

Are any of your children helping plan and prepare

meals?

Fitness, Food, Healthy Weight for your Child

Fitness and Nutrition are hot topics with health providers,

educators and legislators these days. Everyone is

making their recommendations in regard to the problem of childhood

obesity.

Click here to participate in our

survey Contact Information:

RACCAP:

Our Location:

How do you say it?

Calmly and openly - don't exaggerate. The facts speak for themselves.

Face to face - exchange information and try to understand each other's point of view. Be an active listener and let your child talk about fears and concerns. Don't interrupt or preach.

Through "teachable moments" - in contrast to a formal lecture, use a variety of situations - TV dramas, books, etc.

Establish an ongoing conversation rather than giving a one-time speech.

Remember that you set the example. Avoid contradictions between your words and your actions. And don't use illegal!

Be creative! You and your child might act out various situations in which one person tries to pressure another to take a drug. Figure out 2 or 3 ways to handle each situation and talk about which works best.

Exchange ideas with other parents.

To learn more, please join us for our one of our

groups. All are welcome!! See Calendar for

days, times, and locations.

MAKING MEAL TIMES MORE PLEASANT

Don't Run a Restaurant Make one meal, but offer options on how to have it served (Do you

want your burger or on your plate?). When most of us were kids we ate what was put in front of us. There was never any ambivalence from our parents about any other options; therefore we ate.

Make Dinner Conversation Enjoyable This is not the time to admonish a child about her late homework assignment or to question her current choice of friends. This is the time to share ideas and share stories. This is an opportunity to have that quality time we hear so much about but often don't have time to pursue.

Teach Good Table Manners at Home

1320 Central Park Boulevard Suite 263/264

Fredericksburg, VA 22401

Email: raccap@raccap.org Phone: (540) 785 - 6217

Fax: (540) 785 - 1397 Toll Free: (877) 785 - 6217

Mailing Address:

P.O. Box 7402

Fredericksburg, VA 22404

Website: www.raccap.org

Circle of Parents: www.circleofparents.org

Prevent Child Abuse VA www.preventchildabuseva.org

.

Prevent Child Abuse America www.preventchildabuse.org

Rappahannock United Way www.rappahannockunitedway.org

If you wouldn't think it funny to have your child display his mouth full of food to your hosts at a dinner party, I suggest not letting him get away with it at home.

Relax your Attitude about Food The more focus and attention you place on eating habits, the more of a battle ground food will become. Keep a few important points in mind: Kids needs to eat more often than 3 square meals. Kids can thrive eating the same foods over and over and avoiding anything new and different. Kids are hungry when they walk in the door after school, the routine of a healthy after school snack can ward off all kinds of battles. When healthy options are all that's available, kids will eat healthy food. Mealtime can be enjoyable when you serve the food, then simply take the time to enjoy it, without monitoring everyone else's eating habits.

Encourage your Children to get Involved in Meal Planning and

Preparation It will motivate to eat what's served and it will teach them valuable skills that will enrich their lives. You will probably be pleased to see that they actually enjoy helping in the kitchen.

To learn more, please join us for our one of our groups. All are welcome!! See

Calendar for days, times, and locations.

Fitness, Food and A Healthy Weight for Your Child

On a scale of 1 to 5 - with one being a big problem and

five being something that you are not concerned with in regard to your child(ren)...how would you rate the issue

in regard to your family concerns? See the following chart for some ideas of snack wise

examples for you children.

Snack - Wise

Plan healthy snacks for children

Fats And Sweets Limit Choices

Milk Group Meat Group Milk and fruit milkshake Hard cooked eggs

Apple wedges and cheese Peanut butter on Mini yogurt cups crackers Bean dip on crackers Vegetable Group Fruit Group Carrot, celery, green pepper Tangerine sections or cucumber sticks Chunks of banana Cherry tomatoes in small pieces or pineapple Steamed broccoli or green beans Canned fruit

Grain Group Cracker stacks - wheat crackers spread with cheese spread Ready to eat cereals Ginger snaps or fig bars Graham crackers