The Parenting Brief

Why Developmental Screenings Matter

Are you wondering if your child is on track with their milestones?  In this episode, host Jessica Stewart-Gonzalez is joined by Peggy Peixoto, Program Manager for the Maternal Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program at the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS). They cover what happens during a screening, why early intervention is key, and how Arizona parents can access these services. Host: Jessica Stewart-Gonzalez is the Chief of the Office of Children’s Health at the Arizona Department of Health Services. She is married, has two young children, and loves reading (anything except parenting books!) and watching movies and TV.  She enjoys spending time with her kids (when they aren’t driving her crazy) and celebrating all of their little, and big, accomplishments. Jessica has been in the field of family and child development for over 20 years, focused on normalizing the hard work of parenting and making it easier to ask the hard questions. Links:  Guest: Peggy Peixoto [https://www.linkedin.com/in/peggy-peixoto-414b531/] CDC Milestone Tracker App [https://www.cdc.gov/act-early/milestones-app/index.html] ASQ: Ages and Stages Questionnaire [https://agesandstages.com/] Arizona Early Intervention Program (AzEIP) [https://des.az.gov/azeip] AZ Strong Families Community Services [http://v]

Reading Ready Kids

Today we’re talking about early childhood literacy AKA the difference between being able to sound out words and making context connections.  In this episode of The Parenting Brief, host Jessica Stewart-Gonzalez sits down with Cynnamon Woodberry from Make Way for Books to discuss how Arizona parents can build foundational literacy skills through simple, everyday interactions like talking, singing, and playing.  Host: Jessica Stewart-Gonzalez is the Chief of the Office of Children’s Health at the Arizona Department of Health Services. She is married, has two young children, and loves reading (anything except parenting books!) and watching movies and TV.  She enjoys spending time with her kids (when they aren’t driving her crazy) and celebrating all of their little, and big, accomplishments. Jessica has been in the field of family and child development for over 20 years, focused on normalizing the hard work of parenting and making it easier to ask the hard questions. Links:  Guest: Cynnamon Woodberry [https://makewayforbooks.org/people/cynnamon-woodberry/] Make Way for Books [https://makewayforbooks.org/] Harvard Center on the Developing Child [https://developingchild.harvard.edu/] Zero to Three [https://www.zerotothree.org/] The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) [https://www.naeyc.org/] First Things First [https://www.firstthingsfirst.org/az-new-parent-guide/]

Parent Shaming

Ever feel judged for your parenting choices? We're talking with Dr. Charissa Chamorro about where parent shaming comes from and how to navigate the cultural shift toward "perfect parenting" in our hyper connected world.  Host: Jessica Stewart-Gonzalez is the Chief of the Office of Children’s Health at the Arizona Department of Health Services. She is married, has two young children, and loves reading (anything except parenting books!) and watching movies and TV.  She enjoys spending time with her kids (when they aren’t driving her crazy) and celebrating all of their little, and big, accomplishments. Jessica has been in the field of family and child development for over 20 years, focused on normalizing the hard work of parenting and making it easier to ask the hard questions. Links:  Guest: Charissa Chamorro, PhD [https://profiles.icahn.mssm.edu/charissa-cree-chamorro]

Cavity Free Kids Start With Mom

Find out how pregnancy hormones affect oral health, what to watch out for if your gums look unhealthy, and why taking care of your teeth while pregnant is important for your baby's future oral health. Host Jessica Stewart-Gonzalez sits down with Laurie Clark, a Registered Dental Hygienist with the Dignity Health Early Childhood Oral Health Program, to answer all your questions about oral health and going to the dentist while pregnant.  Host: Jessica Stewart-Gonzalez is the Chief of the Office of Children’s Health at the Arizona Department of Health Services. She is married, has two young children, and loves reading (anything except parenting books!) and watching movies and TV.  She enjoys spending time with her kids (when they aren’t driving her crazy) and celebrating all of their little, and big, accomplishments. Jessica has been in the field of family and child development for over 20 years, focused on normalizing the hard work of parenting and making it easier to ask the hard questions. Links:  Guest: Laurie Clark, BADH, RDH, AP [https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurie-clark-badh-rdh-ap-49183419/] Healthychildren.org [http://healthychildren.org] Arizona Sliding Fee Scale Providers - Dental [https://www.azdhs.gov/documents/prevention/health-systems-development/sliding-fee-schedule/sliding-fee-dental-providers.pdf] Reduced Fee and Community Dental Clinics in Arizona [https://www.azdhs.gov/documents/prevention/womens-childrens-health/oral-health/reduced-fee-dental-clinics.pdf]

Why Toddlers Hit, Bite, and Throw

Toddlers have big feelings but haven't learned how to talk about them yet. Hitting, biting, and throwing are normal for their age and usually stop as they get older and better at communicating. Parents play a huge role in teaching their children how to handle their emotions.   Host Jessica Stewart-Gonzalez is joined by Mirna Tomic, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a child therapist at Arizona Child Psychology, to discuss these behaviors, how working together (co-regulation) can teach kids to manage their own feelings (self-regulate), and more! Host: Jessica Stewart-Gonzalez is the Chief of the Office of Children’s Health at the Arizona Department of Health Services. She is married, has two young children, and loves reading (anything except parenting books!) and watching movies and TV.  She enjoys spending time with her kids (when they aren’t driving her crazy) and celebrating all of their little, and big, accomplishments. Jessica has been in the field of family and child development for over 20 years, focused on normalizing the hard work of parenting and making it easier to ask the hard questions. Links:  Strong Families AZ [https://strongfamiliesaz.com/]   Host: Jessica Stewart-Gonzalez [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-stewart-gonzalez-58a2031b7/]   Guest: Mirna Tomic, MAS-IFP, MSW, LCSW [https://arizonachildpsychology.com/providers/mirna-tomic-mas-ifp-msw-lcsw/]   Circle of Security International Blog [https://www.circleofsecurityinternational.com/blogs/cosi-blog/] and other parent resources [https://www.circleofsecurityinternational.com/blogs/resources/tagged/parents?page=2]   Birth to Five Helpline - resources, referrals [https://www.firstthingsfirst.org/resources/birth-five-helpline/]   Arizona Early Intervention Program (AzEIP) - developmental screenings and evaluations [https://des.az.gov/azeip]   Book: “Emotional Life of the Toddler” by Alicia Lieberman   Book: "The Whole Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child's Developing Mind" by Daniel Siegel    Book: "No-Drama Discipline: The Whole-Brain Way to Calm the Chaos and Nurture Your Child's Developing Mind" by Daniel Siegel    Book: “Parenting from the Inside Out: How A Deeper Self-Understanding Can Help You Raise Children Who Thrive” by Daniel Siegel (the title says it all)   Book: “Raising a Secure Child” (Circle of Security) by Hoffman, Cooper, & Powell