First Connections

A free live webinar will be held on Wednesday, May 14 at 7 p.m. Our speakers will be Lynn St. Germaine, an Infant-Toddler teacher for 37 years, and Patricia Collins, a preschool teacher for 25 years, from Concord Children's Center. Young children often act out for various reasons such as hunger, tiredness, frustration, confusion, or difficulty transitioning between activities. At times, they may not have the words to express what they need, leading to outbursts and meltdowns. These behaviors are not random-they signal underlying needs or developmental challenges, like unmet emotional needs, underdeveloped communication skills or lack of self-regulation. By

A free live webinar presented by pediatric physical therapist Christina Marinelli from Emerson Health, will be held via Zoom on Thursday, January 29, 1-2:00. Babies begin progressing both gross and fine motor skills from birth. They are the building blocks to your baby's ability to explore their environment as they grow. In this webinar, you will learn 1) what typical development looks like, 2) general tips and strategies to support baby's skill acquisition, and 3) helpful resources for continued learning. Time for questions will be allowed. To receive the link, email lmatthews@jri.org at First Connections.

Ellie Springer, M.Ed., will present a live webinar through First Connections in Acton about "Threenagers." Around age 2 1/2-3, children's behavior becomes newly challenging and parents may wonder, "Who is this child?" Three year olds begin to fiercely assert their independence, while at other times cling to adults and want help with tasks they have been able to do on their own for months. They can have BIG emotions that change all the time, shifting from gleeful to devastated to furious within minutes. If you have a child in this stage, or about to enter it, join us to learn