February 2022

​A Flurry of Activity in February

February is upon us, and we are now in the season of feeling cozy as we find ways to see the light in the dark. It is a wonderful time to reflect upon our year so far at MCH, and look forward to the opportunities ahead of us. I know I am excited for the upcoming book talk with author Mercedes Samudio about her fantastic book, "Shame Proof Parenting." Make sure you register early and mark your calendars! 

Our community development committee has been working hard to put together some wonderful educational opportunities that have been requested by many in our parent community. I am excited to watch these come together and to get to meet and be around more of you. I know these experiences can help us see the joy in our children as they grow and blossom in each stage of their young lives. 

Did you know that we are beginning to recruit new board members? We are always on the lookout for great parents to work on our board and hope to find new ideas from each of you. Be on the lookout for information in the upcoming months about how you can help to bring more great opportunities to our community. 

As always, feel free to email [email protected] if you have any comments or questions we at the MCHPA can help answer. Have a wonderful month! 

Regards,
Susan Smith
President, MCH Parent Association

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Mark Your Calendars

Friday, February 11th: Walk & Talk! We will be meeting after drop-off (approximately 9:30-9:45am) at Redmond Watershed Preserve for an easy walk and good conversation. Meet at the Trout Loop Trail head in the parking lot, 21760 Novelty Hill Rd, Redmond.

Wednesday, February 23rd, 6:00--8:00 pm: Book Circle Conversation for "Shame-Proof Parenting: Finding Your Unique Parenting Voice, Feel Empowered, and Raise Whole, Healthy Children" an evening with Author and Parenting Coach Mercedes Samudio, LCSW. REGISTER HERE for free (required) using password MCHPA. More information about this event can be found in the story below.

Friday, March 11: Walk & Talk! We will be meeting after drop-off (approximately 9:30-9:45am) at East Lake Sammamish Trail for a stroll along the lake; rain or shine. Meet at Sammamish Landing Park, 4607 East Lake Sammamish Parkway NE.
 
Tuesday March 22nd at 7:30pm: Book Circle Conversation for “Firekeeper's Daughter” by Angeline Boulley. More information to come in next month's newsletter.

These events are hosted by the Parent Association and not affiliated with the school. Please wear a mask to all in-person events.

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Parent Education Opportunities Coming to MCH!
One role of the Parent Association is to provide opportunities to come together in community. This time of year, in addition to our regular offerings, we are bringing experts in to support our unique parenting journeys. All events are sponsored by the Parent Association and are free to the MCH community. 
 
In this month's Book Circle, we're pleased to welcome parent coach and author Mercedes Samudio, LCSW, as she guides our discussion of her book "Shame-Proof Parenting: Finding Your Unique Parenting Voice, Feel Empowered, and Raise Whole, Healthy Children." 

In this relatable, heartfelt, beautiful book, Mercedes offers a refreshing perspective on being a human who is doing their best to raise another human. She invites readers to explore what matters to them personally while also acknowledging the importance of finding your village. Don’t have time to read the book? No worries! Just join us for the conversation and/or check out this podcast interview with the author. 

Authors Talk About It: Five Star Review:
"Shame-Proof Parenting is not an omniscient, one-answer-solves-all book; rather, Samudio acknowledges all different sorts of family structures and parenting styles, and the fact that there is no truly "perfect" way to be a parent. Her approach is wise and supportive, simultaneously letting parents know that it's okay to not be perfect and that they're not alone in their daily stresses and worries. Her advice is vague enough to be relatable to anyone, while still feeling overwhelmingly personal; oftentimes, reading Shame-Proof Parenting felt like Samudio was speaking directly to me, like she understood. And, of course, she does.” 

We sincerely hope you join us Wednesday, February 23, 6:00-8:00 pm via Zoom to meet Mercedes and discuss "Shame-Proof Parenting." This is the one not to miss! 
 
Book circle registration required for this month only (free of charge!), use password MCHPA.

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Parenting with Courage and Connection: We Need Your Input!
Parenting with Courage and Connection (aka Parenting with Positive Discipline) is a cumulative four-week workshop series where we examine the latest brain science and child development research in light of the challenges of today.

This interactive course (active participation is essential, this will not be offered as a recording), a $150 per-participant value, is free to you on behalf of the MCH Parent Association. Ready to sign-up? Please complete this short, five-question survey by Friday, February 18th to help us finalize our plan!  Registration coming soon.

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A Pause for Parenting
Two years of a pandemic?? 

It is important to acknowledge that we are living in unprecedented times and many of us are feeling, well, burned out. 

As a result, we may not show up as our best parenting selves and that is a-ok. We can help our children experience forgiveness and compassion through intentional recovery (talking about our mistakes out loud, together).

Discover more about the 3Rs of Recovery here.

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