Yucatan Outreach & Early Childhood Development

This Month, the focus for the Outreach & Early Childhood Development training was on 2 year olds.

This is an excerpt I found from an America development site on 2 year olds.
"Your preschooler's brain is a beehive of activity as it forms countless new neural connections that help him understand the whats, whys, and hows of the world. To encourage an eager learner:

• Introduce him to a wide variety of playthings: big toys to push or ride, wind-up toys or jack-in-the-boxes (which show cause and effect), play sets and blocks that can be handled and stacked, puzzles, dress-up clothes, puppets, and art supplies. Rotate them to keep them fresh, storing some and bringing others out each week.
• Don't stop him from exploring things around the house.
• Stimulate all his senses. Include tactile toys (such as clay and sand) and musical toys (like a xylophone or maracas).
• Expose him to new places and experiences: a pool, a zoo, the airport.
• Always keep books around. Visit your local library often to restock."

Reality Check
Most of the Mom's we are involved with here in the Yucatan do not have the money to buy puzzles, art supplies, books, all the items listed above. They may not have a vehicle or the money to take there kids to the zoo, airport, etc.,  I think sometimes in America we take for granted what we have available for our children.

Marina, one of our good friends, is the mother of Andrew pictured above. I recently asked her about what kinds of toys she has for Andrew to play with. She looked at me very matter-of-factly and said that he played with pots and pans, tupperware and spoons. Toys are more expensive here than they are in the United States. This includes Wal Mart. Therefore, Marina spends money on diapers & food. She lives in the Yucatan without any air conditioning and in the months of May it can heat up to 110 degrees or more. Yet, she always has a smile on her face and will be the first to tell you of her love for the Lord and his provision in their lives. And when she does she is very sincere about it.

This month's Childhood Development Training was to support these Mom's in their desire to raise healthy children. We began with a time of worship together with Marina's gift of song and guitar. These ladies have a close bond with each other and you will see 3 generations of families in the meeings. Daughter, Mother & Grandmother all worshipping side by side.

Luz once again started the training with a power point presentation on the milestones and needs of a 2 year old, including eating, potty training, play time and discipline. Luz is a trained Childhood Developement Teacher and does a great job with her presentations. I watch these new mom's soaking in the information like they have never seen it before and the light bulb is going on. They are very excited about learning new information as they love there children and want the best for them.

We welcomed new baby "Diego" at the meeting, pictured here with his Grandma.  We always enjoy these 3 hour meetings together. Everyone brings a drink or food item so we can share a meal together and catch up with each others lives. I am very much an accepted member of this ladies group. Some of the younger moms now come to me for advice. We are now like family to some of them and will be babysitting for a few of these moms also to give them a break once in awhile.

One of the biggest Joys for me is when it is time to give these moms a gift. They have so little, so it is a huge present for them to receive for their children. I made these Winnie The Pooh bags that were stuffed with crayons and coloring books to keep those 2 year old hands busy. Tammy does a great job organizing and administrating the meetings. Honestly, the 3 hours goes by quick as we are all having so much fun. My spanish is still very limited, but I get by the best I can and there are several ladies that speak english & are happy to interpret for me.

Our next Outreach & Early Childhood Development will be 3-4 year olds. If you would like to support our efforts & help us reach these moms and their children you can either refer people to our Small Sprouts shop or make a donation by clicking on the yellow "Donate" button on the side bar of this blog.

God Bless,
Christine