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PARENTING SWEET MARCH 2023

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PARENTING SWEET MARCH 2023

Welcome to Parenting Sweet!

Parenting Sweet is a resource for parents and caregivers, featuring all the great opportunities in our region that make parenting sweet!

This issue features National Reading Month activities and summer sign ups, as well as other community events and opportunities!

Bristol’s Promise Making Parenting Sweet

We have tips, information, practices, and parenting classes, sessions, workshops, support groups, seasoned educators, and friendships that can help lighten some of your load and make parenting easier.

Wish you had an extra hand? A little help? A hack that makes things a little easier? Wondering if doing something different would help?

Check out the Parenting Educator Network opportunities below in the March 2023 Highlights.

Monthly Fun Poll:
Have you ever found a four-leaf clover?


Parenting Sweet helps us keep our five promises of caring adults, safe places, a healthy start, effective education, and opportunities to serve.

PLAYtime in the ARTspace is for ages zero to five years old or so, and those who love them!

Saturdays at 10:00 am (NEW TIME!)
506 State Street, Bristol, TN

PLAYtime in the ARTspace entertains and educates with favorite songs, skits, rhymes and more.

Parents have the chance to connect with each other, eat  coffee and bagels, and discover great parenting resources from around the region.

$5 per family, free coffee and bagels, and great parenting resources.

Doors open at 10:00 AM, program begins at 10:15 AM

Sponsored by Theatre Bristol, Bristol Bagel and Bakery, & Bristol’s Promise.


Jurassic Quest is ROARING into Bristol, TN from March 24 – 26th, 2023!?

DON’T MISS:
* LIFE-SIZE, SKY-SCRAPING DINOSAURS
* ONE-OF-A-KIND WALKING DINOSAUR RIDES
* LIFE-SIZE T.REX SKULL
* INCREDIBLE FOSSILS, including REAL T.rex teeth and Triceratops horn

CLICK THIS LINK TO FIND TICKET PRICES AND PURCHASE TICKETS ONLINE: https://jurassicquest.shop/bristol-tn


Coming Soon: 
GRAND CONNECTIONS
Grandparent Workshop Series

Bristol’s Promise will be offering a workshop series just for grandparents of children ages birth to five! Why? We love our grandparents! Whether you are “sharing the care” or a custodial grandparent, we recognize the vital importance of grandparents.

Did you know? In the U.S., one out of four children under age 5 is cared for by a grandparent while parents work or go to school and 1.6 million children are being raised by grandparents (US Census Bureau, Zero to Three).

We want to offer you the opportunity to build a strong social support network, sharing joys and challenges, as well as gaining and sharing knowledge. You can look forward to topics such as: challenging behavior, mealtimes and picky eating, early learning, sleep, generational relationships, and more!

Stay tuned! If you or someone you know may be interested in learning more about this program, please submit your information here. Questions? Email Lily Royston (lily@bristolspromise.org). Thank you!

Click to learn more!

Let’s Get Reading!

In honor of Dr. Seuss, March is National Reading Month! People around the country are incorporating more reading into their routines in celebration, reaping the many benefits of daily reading. Not only is reading a fun way to reduce stress and a strong component of educational and professional development, but reading also has immediate and long-lasting health benefits such as increased cognitive function, memory, vocabulary, empathy and decreased levels of stress, according to America’s Charities. We encourage you to take some time to read, especially this month, and share its value with your children,

Area Library Reading Times:

Bristol Public Library

Storytime:
Mondays 11:30 AM @ Bristol Public Library
Tuesdays 10:00 AM @ Bristol Public Library
Wednesdays 11:30 AM @ Avoca Branch Library

Parenting section resources were identified with support by  Parenting Education Network member AHH Babies (formerly La Leche League)!

The Bristol Public Library’s Teen & YA department offers local teens (11-18 years old) the opportunity to earn community service hours by reviewing YA books! To participate, submit reviews that follow these guidelines using their online form.

Lee County Library

Baby Sprouts:

Ages 0-2 Mondays, Wednesdays, & Fridays 10:00AM @ Pennington Gap
Ages 0-2 Mondays, Wednesdays, & Fridays 11:30AM – 12:30PM @ Wise Library
Ages 0-1 Mondays, Wednesdays, & Fridays 11:30AM – 12:00PM @ Gate City
Age 2 Tuesdays & Thursdays 11:30AM – 12:00PM @ Gate City

Little Pines:

Mondays, Wednesdays, & Fridays 11:30AM @ Pennington Gap
Mondays, Wednesdays, & Fridays 10:00AM @ Gate City
Mondays, Wednesdays, & Fridays 10:00AM – 11:00AM @ Wise Library

Smyth County

Tuesday Storytime – 11:00AM @ Chilhowie Public Library

Homeschool Storytime / Homeschool Hangout Tuesdays – 1:00PM -2:00PM @ Marion Main Library

Tiny Tots – Wednesdays 10:00AM-10:30AM @ Marion Main Library

Pre-School Storytime – 11:00AM-12:00PM @ Marion Main Library

Washington County Public Library, VA

Raising a Reader Storytime:
Tuesdays at 10:30AM @ Abingdon Library,
Wednesdays at 10:30 at all branch locations (Damascus, Glade Spring, Hayters Gap, Mendota)

Dial-A-Story Archive – stories read by Rick McVey

Library Loot – Get a surprise library book and seasonal goodies every quarter by completing the registration form. For ages 11-18, receive a phone call when your Library Loot package is checked out to you and ready to be picked up, then return the book to one of the drop boxes after you read it. The rest of the contents are yours to keep!

Kingsport Public Library

Time for Two’s Storytime (ages 2-3) Thursdays @ 10:30AM – 11:00AM

Preschool Storytime (ages 3 -5) Tuesdays @ 10:30AM – 11:00AM

Lapsit Storytime (newborns through 24 months) Thursdays @ 9:30AM – 10:00AM

Sullivan County Public Library

Storytime:
Mondays 10:00AM – 11:00AM @ Sullivan Gardens
Tuesdays 10:45AM – 11:15AM @ Thomas Memorial Branch
Wednesdays 10:30AM -11:30AM @ Bloomingdale
Thursdays 9:30AM – 10:30AM & 1:30PM – 2:30PM @ Colonial Heights
Fridays 10:30AM – 11:30AM @ Sullivan Main Branch

Tween Book Club:
Fridays 4:15 – 5:30 @ Sullivan Main Branch

Washington County, TN

Teens
Children

Book Babies Storytime:

Tuesdays @ 10:00AM @ Gray
Fridays @ 10:00AM @ Jonesborough

Little Learners Storytime:

Tuesdays @ 11:00AM @ Gray
Fridays @ 11:00AM @ Jonesborough

Unicoi County Public Library

Story Time with Miss Hannah:

Tuesdays @ 10:30AM

Online Stories with Miss Suzy

Hawkins County

Preschool Storytime:

Mondays 1:00PM @ Surgoinsville Public Library
Wednesdays 10:00AM @ H. B. Stamps Memorial Library, Rogersville
Fridays 10:00AM @ Church Hill Public Library

Mosheim Public Library

Mosheim Family Story Time:

2nd Tuesday each Month from 2:30PM until 4:00PM

Storyline Online® offers FREE streaming videos featuring popular actors reading children’s books.

On Parenting

The Parenting Armchair Quarterback

Samantha Gray, Parenting Education Coordinator

“When we spend a lot of time near and around some topics we just can’t help but think we know about them.

“If we grow up in church we might think we know how to be a theologian. If we attend school most of our lives, we might think we know plenty about being a teacher. If we grew up having parents, we think we know all there is to know about parenting.

“We certainly do learn from these experiences, some of what to do, and just as much what not to do.

“Without question, though, studying to be a teacher changes your perspective on and appreciation for teaching. Going to divinity school shows you that as much as you thought you knew, you have so much more to learn…”

Read on

Below is a list of local summer sports camps, clinics, and tryouts!






The Wellness Center of Kingsport still has spots available in their swim classes! Anyone can learn to swim at The Wellness Center – no matter the age or skill level.

🤿 Group Swim Lessons
Children ages 3-12 | Mondays and Wednesdays, 4:30-5:30 p.m.

🤿 Parent & Child Safety Swim Sessions
For ages 6 months to 36 months and a guardian | Saturdays, 9-9:45 a.m.

🤿 Preschool Group Swim Lessons
Ages 3-5 | Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1-2 p.m.

🤿 Private Swim Lessons
All ages, adults included | upon availability

Fill out this form to sign up or request more information: https://form.jotform.com/222846007828157 


Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation is partnering with the Tennessee Department of Education to provide at-home reading resources for free to all Tennessee families of K–2 children to help young learners become stronger readers. Based on your child’s grade level, they will receive the At-Home Decodable Book Series, a collection of seven booklets containing 20+ exciting stories full of sounds and words to practice, and age-appropriate, high-quality Scholastic books. Click here to order your kit.

Looking for information or support?
Visit www.BristolsPromise.org to learn more about:

The Parenting Education Network, Bristol Family Resource Center, YWCA MOMS R US, Mom Power, Hope House, Frontier Health, Highlands Community Services, Breastfeeding Essentials, La Leche League Breastfeeding Support, Cherished Mom, Attached at the Heart Classes, Twin City Reads, Buckle Up for Life, Doula by Donation, Sullivan County Family Services, High Country Doulas, ETSU Family Physicians, Bethany Services, TriCities Babywearing TN, Sullivan County Health Department, STRONG Pregnancies, STRONG Starts, and more.

Bristol’s Promise
Parenting Education Network Programs

Find a program that fits your needs! Click to search for free or low cost, morning or evening, online or in-person, first-time or veteran parent/caregiver, and more!



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Parenting Sweet works to help make parenting sweet! Parents get connected to support and information because learning about parenting and getting support does make a difference.

If you would you like to continue receiving Parenting Sweet, you’ll need to be sure to sign up on the website.

If you know a parent, caregiver, grandparent, or anyone who cares about children, share the sign-up link with them and help them find all that’s great for children and families in our community.

Past issues and all the events are available anytime on the BristolsPromise.org Blog.

Support for this program is provided by Ballad Population Health Community Health Initiative and Bristol Public Housing.

Parenting Sweet Team: Samantha Gray, Lily Royston, Susan Turner, Emily Macbeth, Katherine Wilson-Thompson, Melissa Roberts, and Margaret Feierabend.

Have information to share? Submit it to parentingsweet@bristolspromise.org.

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