GSC Web Admin
04-01-2009, 08:40 AM
By FRANK KONKEL
Sentinel-Standard writer
IONIA — Parenting is for a lifetime.
That’s the message the Ionia County Parenting Awareness Committee will convey through its poster contest from March 1 through March 17.
The contest will act as an early kickoff to the month of March, which is recognized as Parenting Awareness Month.
“We’re hoping to make this all come together, we’d like to solicit some real community involvement,” said Judge Suzanne Hoseth Kreeger, who chairs the Parenting Awareness Committee. “Anyone is eligible. We’re strongly encouraging parents and children to create posters together for dual entries. The only thing we ask is that, any shape or size, they include ‘parenting is for a lifetime.’”
Posters can be dropped off any time between March 1 and March 17 at the Ionia County Health Department or mailed to the ICAN Poster Contest, P.O. Box 358 in Ionia.
While last year’s contest produced four winners from more than 50 entries, this year’s overall contest winner may collect additional fanfare. The winner from this year’s poster contest will get his or her design on the cover of a parenting CD created by the Ionia County Parenting Awareness Committee. The CD itself is in the planning stages, but will feature parenting tips and information as well as music, and should be completed in time to be distributed by next March. When the CD is unveiled, this year’s poster contest winner will be its sleeve.
“We’re looking at putting together a type of resource for parents so they can get together and improve their parenting efforts,” said parenting awareness committee member Cari O’Connor, who herself is a mother of two boys. “We want to highlight the importance of parents interacting with children for a lifetime because it’s not over, so to speak, when children get older. Parenting is a lifelong process.”
In her experience in the court system, Kreeger said positive parenting is quite often the difference between successful and troubled individuals. It’s important, then, that parents receive the vital education and information they need to be successful parents.
“I think one thing that comes back to me time and time again in viewing different situations that present themselves in court is how important positive parenting can be to an individual’s success,” Kreeger said. “Emotionally, spiritually and physically, it can make a huge difference.”
Simple things like simply spending extra time with one’s children can make all the difference.
“The main focus of the contest is getting parents to do an activity with their child,” O’Connor said. “That’s a big key.”
Poster winners will be selected on March 18 and announced later in the month, likely on March 26 during the parent coalition kickoff at the Ionia County Community Mental Health building.
Sentinel-Standard writer
IONIA — Parenting is for a lifetime.
That’s the message the Ionia County Parenting Awareness Committee will convey through its poster contest from March 1 through March 17.
The contest will act as an early kickoff to the month of March, which is recognized as Parenting Awareness Month.
“We’re hoping to make this all come together, we’d like to solicit some real community involvement,” said Judge Suzanne Hoseth Kreeger, who chairs the Parenting Awareness Committee. “Anyone is eligible. We’re strongly encouraging parents and children to create posters together for dual entries. The only thing we ask is that, any shape or size, they include ‘parenting is for a lifetime.’”
Posters can be dropped off any time between March 1 and March 17 at the Ionia County Health Department or mailed to the ICAN Poster Contest, P.O. Box 358 in Ionia.
While last year’s contest produced four winners from more than 50 entries, this year’s overall contest winner may collect additional fanfare. The winner from this year’s poster contest will get his or her design on the cover of a parenting CD created by the Ionia County Parenting Awareness Committee. The CD itself is in the planning stages, but will feature parenting tips and information as well as music, and should be completed in time to be distributed by next March. When the CD is unveiled, this year’s poster contest winner will be its sleeve.
“We’re looking at putting together a type of resource for parents so they can get together and improve their parenting efforts,” said parenting awareness committee member Cari O’Connor, who herself is a mother of two boys. “We want to highlight the importance of parents interacting with children for a lifetime because it’s not over, so to speak, when children get older. Parenting is a lifelong process.”
In her experience in the court system, Kreeger said positive parenting is quite often the difference between successful and troubled individuals. It’s important, then, that parents receive the vital education and information they need to be successful parents.
“I think one thing that comes back to me time and time again in viewing different situations that present themselves in court is how important positive parenting can be to an individual’s success,” Kreeger said. “Emotionally, spiritually and physically, it can make a huge difference.”
Simple things like simply spending extra time with one’s children can make all the difference.
“The main focus of the contest is getting parents to do an activity with their child,” O’Connor said. “That’s a big key.”
Poster winners will be selected on March 18 and announced later in the month, likely on March 26 during the parent coalition kickoff at the Ionia County Community Mental Health building.