LINK Village

Update on Project - South Africa Hope for orphans

PROJECT - SOUTH AFRICA HOPE FOR ORPHANS

Announcing Important Information - LINK Village Society

Announcing Important Information Dear partners, Thank you for all your support and contributions towards our quest to develop a village to provide a place of safety and healing for vulnerable women and children. Over the last few years, your unwavering support has enabled to support several families and has provided us with the cap...

Strengthening family connections from Deborah MacNamara, PhD

Notice - LINK Village AGM 2024

Coming Soon… ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

My son (11) was in the middle of a meltdown yesterday and I asked "Do you need me to give you solutions, or do you just need to feel this?"

He said "I just need to feel it". Then about 10 seconds later, he asks what solutions I was thinking about.

Kids know more than we think they do. They are the experts in themselves. When they feel safe to be vulnerable, they know they are also safe to fix problems and be strong.

Toddlers, preschoolers, and many neurodiverse children do not have the cognitive development to regulate their emotions or manage their behavior when they have intense emotions. When your child has a meltdown in public, try to remember that it is society's unrealistic expectations of children that fuels your embarrassment or anxiety.

Hopefully, that's a good reminder for you, but it might leave you wondering what to do in the moment. We recommend taking it S.L.O.W.

SLOW DOWN
There's a good chance your anxiety will kick in and you'll want to try to make an escape as quickly as possible. But that swift motion will work against you as you try to make an effort to calm yourself and your child. Rather than speed up, slow down. Slow your body, slow your heart rate by taking deep breaths, and slow your words as you communicate with your child (and possibly others).

LISTEN WITH EMPATHY
Whatever is going on with your child, listening with empathy can help calm their big feelings and provide a safe harbor for their emotional storm. This might sound like
responding with: " understand how hard this is for you. I'm here." or "I hear how much you wanted that. And you're sad that you can't have it right now."

OWN YOUR FEELINGS
Your child is not responsible for your feelings. You are responsible for your reaction and response, so own it. It is okay to be embarrassed or frustrated! It's not okay for your ability to handle those feelings to hinge on your child's behavior. Don't make your ability to calm down dependent upon your child's calming down, instead, use coping skills to regulate your own nervous system so you can co-regulate with
your child.

WORK YOUR TRIGGERS PLAN
The best strategy for managing being triggered in public is to know ahead of time how you want to respond. Create a plan for your posture, your tone of voice, and the words that you will say, and then practice them! The good news is: if you aren't intentional to practice your plan, your kiddos will give you an opportunity to do so! In the heat of the moment, cool the situation with your triggers plan.

There's still time!

There’s one day left in 2023, and there's still time for you to make a difference with a donation and get a year-end tax-deductible receipt. When you give to LINK Village, your generosity multiplies in countless ways as you: Help children... If you have already made a gift, or you are a monthly supporter, we thank you for your continued support! From all of us at LINK Village, we wish you and yours a wonderful 2024!

We're a bit late, but the season is still upon us.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from the LINK Village family.

Whether your celebrations are quiet or loud, full of family or friends.

Whether it is full of joy or sorrow.

Whether you are celebrating or grieving.

May the Lord be with you and keep you. May His face shine upon you and give you peace.

We look forward to seeing and working with you in the New Year.

Happy Holidays :)

LINK Village

LINK Village December's e-Newsletter

December's e-Newsletter Merry Christmas

“Respond to your children with love in their worst moments, their broken moments, their angry moments, their selfish moments, their lonely moments, their frustrated moments, their inconvenient moments, because it is in their most unlovable human moments that they most need to feel loved. -L.R. Knost

traumainformedparenting

Happy Mother’s Day to all the wonderful moms out there! Whether you’re someone’s biological mother, stepmother, grandmother or spiritual mom, you are special and God is proud of you.

Sometimes when our children are lashing out, a time in may not be feasible nor safe for you or other children in your home. The concept of time in is that you are available. You may still hold your boundaries (no hitting, no being mean) while being a gentle parent. Gentle parenting is not passive parenting.

Remember to connect first, redirect second.

Your child may be having a difficult time regulating their body. This is the priority. Your child will be ready to learn new skills after they are calm.

Connection is always better than isolation.

If you are feeling overwhelmed (and if it is safe for the other people in your home), you may take a time out for yourself.

I have often given myself a time out because I was dysregulated. I say "I am feeling very frustrated right now, so I am going to take 5 minutes in my room." After I am calm, I explain to my child what I was feeling and why (usually it has nothing to do with him). He is 10 years old and incredibly empathetic and understanding.

Learning is not linear and you are doing a better job every day! Keep going!

Happy Easter!

This weekend is full of stimuli!

Remember that your children may have lots of fun at Easter events but also may be overwhelmed by it all (at some points it's both). This is a recipe for a meltdown.

Do your best and don't stress. Your child needs your calm when they feel chaos.

You got this!!

Newsletter update from LINK Village. Thank you all for your continuing support, prayers, and donations.

LINK Village Newsletter April 2023 PARENTING PROJECTS

Happy family day from our founder's family to yours! ❤️

"The average teenager lives in a time unlike anything we’ve ever seen before, and it’s going to get harder....
Our job as parents and as counselors is to help kids to understand that we don’t think we know everything going on in their world or their head. We don’t think we have all the answers in a way that would contextually be true to what they’re going through, but we want to help them. We need to engage and figure this out together."

Parenting Angry Teens - Association of Certified Biblical Counselors As parents, we can give our teenagers an alternative to the world. We can create a safe, loving, and gospel-centered home and relationship with them.

Raising children has never meant to be done alone.

"The Truth About Parenting" - FREE Conference! Free Conference - Mindful Parenting and Emotional Wellness - November 10-14

The first 8 years of children's brain development has an impact on their ability to learn in school, and for success in life.

Why Ages 2-7 Matter So Much for Brain Development Rich experiences—from play to the arts and relationships—fundamentally shape a young child’s development.

This morning, our board met with Anna Caputo Harrison from Thrive Business Consulting and discussed LINK's 2023 plan. We are praying and planning for big big things! This year will be such a great year full of community building and growing LINK's impact in our community. Don't hesitate to contact any of our amazing board members if you would like more information about our plan to support our community through programs, support, and training. Happy New Year LINK Family!

This is huge! Children are professional mistake makers. Sometimes, we get so caught up in our to do lists that we forget to have grace and that our kiddos aren't used to running on top speed. I make poor decisions frequently, but it is so hard to remember that our kids are human also. Parenting with the brain in mind takes practice and dedication, and our kids deserve it. You deserve it.

❤
Via Brooke Hampton

In 2021 you went above and beyond to help worthy causes across Canada and over $43.6 million was raised online in the 24 hours that took place. How will you give back this year?

En 2021, vous vous êtes surpassés pour aider des causes qui en valent la peine partout au Canada… et c’est ainsi que plus de 43,6 M$ ont été recueillis en ligne au cours des 24 heures de . Comment allez-vous donner en retour cette année?

Today is Giving Tuesday. It was created 10 years ago with one simple idea: encourage people to do good. Since 2012, this idea has grown into a year-round global movement, inspiring hundreds of millions to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.
Join the movement by supporting an organization that makes a difference to vulnerable children and families worldwide.
Give online and receive a charitable tax receipt. www.linkvillage.org